A heavy army transport truck carrying either a Mark 1 or Mark 2 Olifant main battle tank lost control and rolled on Oliviershoek Pass, killing one soldier and seriously injuring another. A third soldier sustained moderate injuries.

The tank, weighing in at a massive 60 tons, was badly damaged.

Army engineers and recovery vehicles are enroute to the area, where the damaged vehicles will be recovered.

In June 2014, a tank transport had a similar accident on Van Reenen’s Pass.

The female officer driving the vehicle was credited with heroically saving the lives of her crew and other motorists when she drove her truck into an arrestor bed in a desperate attempt to stop the truck.

The battle tank was also damaged, but nobody was injured.

Read also: SANDF tank crash Van Reenen

Read also: Young female Lieutenant tries to save lives

Initial story: 1 fatality as abnormal-load overturns

Update on this story: 33-year-old soldier confirmed killed in tank accident

In 2003 and 2005, BAE Systems received contracts to upgrade a total of 26 South African Olifant Mk1B main battle tanks to the Olifant Mk2 standard. The Mk2 is a major upgrade on the Mk1 and the first vehicles were delivered in 2006-2007.

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