Premier conveys condolences to the families of 20 dead
The blaze following a horrific accident on the R25 between Verena, Mpumalanga, and Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, left 20 people dead and several injured, most of them children.
MBOMBELA – 18 children and two adults were killed when the Midi bus they were travelling in collided with a truck on Friday and caught alight thereafter. Seven other children who sustained injuries were transported to hospital.
It is thought that the Midi bus driver underestimated the speed of the truck and turned right in front of it, but Mr Joseph Mabuza, spokesman for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, stressed that the investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing.
Mabuza added that one of the adults was a general worker at a school, who died with two of his children. The other adult was the 75-year-old driver of the Midi bus.
Also read: Eight people killed in accidents on the N4
“This was one of the most tragic accidents in the past three years in the province. Worst still, it was an issue of human error,” Mabuza said.
Mpumalanga premier Mr David Mabuza conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to all those children who sustained injuries and were admitted to hospital.
This tragedy sparked an international outcry as media and news agencies from across the globe reported on it:
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