Five school children tragically lost their lives this afternoon when their bus collided with a train on the R104 Road near Mafube Village, between Wonderfontein and Arnot.

The school bus was transporting roughly thirty learners, with over 20 people injured in the shocking crash.

It is alleged that the bus crossed a railway line while the train was nearby, resulting in a collision.

Five learners lost their lives instantly, whilst eleven sustained serious injuries. Eleven people, including the bus driver and train operator, sustained slight injuries.

Emergency services personnel are still at the scene.

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Jackie Macie is sending condolences to the affected families and wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.

He is calling for a thorough investigation regarding the tragedy and says that the law must take its course to punish whoever would be found at fault.

“We cannot lose such young and innocent lives due to recklessness. People need to take accountability for their negligence.”

“Scholar transport and public transport owners must screen drivers before hiring them to know if they are really fit to be trusted with transporting people. They must also regularly educate, test and train them to avoid these kind of incidents,” he stated.

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Update: Fatal collision between train and school bus