The cause of the accident is under investigation by the relevant authorities.
Three people have been killed and five others injured following a multiple-vehicle collision in the Eastern Cape.
It is understood that the accident occurred on the R63 road near Debe Nek, just outside Qonce towards Alice, on Tuesday, 20 January, at about 4pm.
Accident
Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said preliminary information indicates that two of the vehicles (bakkies) were travelling in the same direction when the accident happened.
“One Toyota bakkie, carrying two Fidelity security crew members, was travelling from Middledrift. The second Toyota bakkie, transporting three male occupants and loaded with livestock, was also travelling from Middledrift. The Toyota Corolla, with two occupants, was travelling from Qonce.
Binqose said the three male occupants from the Toyota bakkie transporting livestock sustained fatal injuries.
“The four injured occupants from the Fidelity security bakkie and the two occupants from the Toyota Corolla sustained various injuries and were transported to Grey Hospital in Qonce for further medical treatment.”
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Investigation
Binqose added that the cause of the accident is under investigation by the relevant authorities.
“A case of culpable homicide and negligent driving has been opened at Chungwa Sapa Police Station for further investigation.”
Binqose has conveyed the department’s condolences to the families of those who died in the accident and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Vanderbijlpark crash
Meanwhile, officials have confirmed that the professional driving permit (PDP) of the driver arrested in Monday’s tragic Vanderbijlpark private scholar transport accident, which claimed the lives of 12 pupils, expired last year.
The Sedibeng community has been in mourning after 12 young children tragically died in a head-on scholar transport crash on the R553 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
“Based on the work done by the police, we have now established that the PDP, which is the public driver’s certificate, had expired last year in November, and therefore he was driving without the necessary permits,” Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said.
Gauteng police confirmed they have arrested the 22-year-old driver of the scholar transport vehicle that allegedly caused the fatal accident.
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