LIMPOPO – Two people, including a five-year-old child, were killed and several passengers injured during a head-on collision between a truck and a sedan on the N1 between Louis Trichardt and Musina on Friday.

The road was closed for almost four hours while emergency personnel, traffic officers and the police worked to clear the scene.

The driver of the sedan and the child, who were both trapped under the vehicle, were declared dead on the scene, and the injured passengers were taken to the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital for treatment.

According to the police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Vuledzani Dathi Mojapelo, the truck was underway from Louis Trichardt when the incident occurred. The cause of the collision is being investigated.

The MEC for Transport, Violet Mathye, expressed shock over the accident. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased during this time of grief, and we wish the injured persons a speedy recovery. The department shares their heartache and is saddened that so many lives continue to be lost on South African roads, which not only impacts negatively on their families but on the province and the country in general.”

She also expressed her condolences to the families, saying that the government was worried about the increasing number of road accidents.

“This is a serious concern as more innocent lives are lost on our roads every day,” she said.