EMALAHLENI – At least 65 cars were involved in a pile-up accident near the N4 / N12 split in the Emalahleni area. According to Witbank News both roads are currently closed and chaos is reigning as heavy mist and poor visibility is making the road hazardous.
The exact cause of the accident is still unknown but high volumes of traffic brought on by the school holidays were expected. Many festival goers are also expected to travel from Gauteng to Mbombela for the annual Innibos Festival
Lowvelder will update this post when new information becomes available.
The following information was released by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Heavy mist leads to a pile up of over 80 vehicles
Heavy mist on N12 Road between Ogies and Kendal and N4 Road between Emalahleni and Middelburg has lead to a pile up of about 80 vehicles in six separate accidents today [29 June 2015]. Two people have been certified dead on one of the scenes where two trucks between Ogies and Kendal on the N12 toll road collided head-rear.
Both deceased were the drivers of the trucks. This crash then resulted to a pile up of about 80 vehicles including both trucks. The roads were closed for over four hours. This morning, a life was also lost after a head on collision between a truck and a sedan on Kamagugu Road (D2296) near Mbombela.
The heavy mist is expected to continue throughout the week. While traffic officials will be on stand-by for any assistance that road users may need, motorists are also called upon to drive with heightened awareness in order to avoid crashes.
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has appealed to motorists to be patient as they drive through the misty weather so that they are able to avoid crashing into each other. He said it was important that drivers also keep their headlights on in order to remain safe.
For the full story, video and gallery of the N4 pile-up accident visit Witbank News
For more videos and galleries of the N4 pile-up accident visit Middelburg Observer
Tweets about the accident:
https://twitter.com/WITBANK_NEWS/status/615471439559401472
https://twitter.com/MOBSERV/status/615470387833503744
https://twitter.com/TrafficSA/status/615424987357401089
#JHBTrarffic -Update- heading to eMalahleni – Multi vehicle crash – N12 East before Oogies pic.twitter.com/nW1b6SYgNL via @FRACCDSP
— EWN Traffic (@EWNTraffic) June 29, 2015
https://twitter.com/WITBANK_NEWS/status/615457272974712832
https://twitter.com/WITBANK_NEWS/status/615424238955155457
