LEBOMBO – A head-on collision claimed four lives on the EN4 in Mozambique on Sunday, when a car and truck collided. The accident occurred about 15 kilometres from the South African Border.
According to Ms Solange Soares-Nicholson, communications manager for Trans African Concessions (TRAC) the vehicle had five Mozambican occupants.
Of them four people, including a child, died. The fifth person was seriously injured.
The South African-registered truck was travelling towards South Africa while the car was heading in the direction of Maputo. The truck driver escaped unharmed.
Soares-Nicholson added that by yesterday morning no fatalities had been recorded on the N4 in South Africa. Since Thursday, 16 accidents had occurred, but nobody was seriously injured.
The incidents included a coal truck overturning near Bronkhorstspruit on Friday, and a two-vehicle crash at Coopersdal near Komatipoort and another near Matsulu.
Thursday evening also saw a multiple vehicle pile-up between Sterkspruit and Cairn temporarily disrupting traffic flow on the N4.
At the time of going to press the total number of accidents and fatalities for the N4 in Mozambique was not yet available.
Soares-Nicholson added that the traffic volumes seemed less compared to Easter Weekend of last year.
On Thursday evening traffic peaked at 2 070 vehicles passing through Middelburg plaza per hour, and 1 010 at Machado.
By midday on Friday east-bound traffic saw more than 1 500 vehicles per hour passing through Middelburg Toll Plaza.
Traffic was expected to peak on Monday afternoon, with extremely busy conditions expected between the Lebombo border and west-bound towards Pretoria.
Particularly heavy traffic volumes were expected at the Machadadorp and Middelburg toll plazas.
According to Mr Joseph Mabuza, spokesman for the provincial department of community safety, 16 fatalities and 57 accidents had been recorded on Mpumalanga’s roads since the start of the long weekend on Thursday.
As many as 42 people also sustained serious injuries. A total of 134 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence in Mpumalanga. “It is a lot,” Mabuza said.
In 2015, 35 accidents and 15 fatalities had been recorded in the province by Family Day. This was compared with 17 deaths and 74 road accidents in 2014.
- Read more: Traffic peaks as Easter comes to an end
To ease movement for travellers, the operating hours at ports of entry have been extended. The Lebombo and Oshoek borders will be open 24 hours a day until March 30.
