Seven people have been killed and twelve others injured in a crash involving a minibus and a car in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The accident happened on the road between Babanango and Nquthu on Wednesday evening.
KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert Mckenzie said both vehicles caught alight after the impact.
“Tragically, seven people have sustained fatal injuries in this crash, and paramedics from KZN Emergency Medical Services, together with their colleagues from a private ambulance service, have transported 12 patients to hospital for continued medical care.”
“One of these patients was in a critical condition while the remaining patients had sustained serious injuries,” Mckenzie said.
Mckenzie said the exact cause of the crash was unknown at this stage, but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.
The mass fatality crash comes days after a crash claimed the lives of six family members of Deputy Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga in KwaZulu-Natal.
Chikunga, who hails from Estcourt, lost her son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren after a vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a collision on the N11, near Ladysmith, on Sunday.
The vehicle that Chikunga’s family was travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a bakkie, whose driver sustained serious injuries and is currently in hospital.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has since been tasked with investigating the root cause of the crash and compiling a report on the matter.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, who visited the province on Tuesday, said a report of the crash would be made available once investigations are concluded.
Mbalula said human error could have been the cause of the accident.
“We can’t pass judgment here… it’s a head-on collision [but] it is very clear that it is human error. [The question is] what causes that human error? Is it drunkenness, is it tiredness? The investigation will reveal that to us,” Mbalula said.
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