Kamva Mokoena and Sne Masuku
Kamva Mokoena and Sne Masuku
At least 28 bus passengers died when the brakes of the bus they were travelling in apparently failed and it plunged down a mountain in Eastern Cape yesterday.
And the death toll could even be higher.
The horrific accident happened in the morning near Kakashill village.
The bus, which was full of passengers, was travelling from Mvenyane to Matatiele.
Many of the passengers were either going to work or to shop in Matatiele.
At the time of going to press 28 passengers were reported dead and paramedics were still at the accident scene trying to rescue more passengers.
Police spokesman Superintendent Ralph Ruiters said the number of dead could even be higher since paramedics were still busy at the scene.
A helicopter was called in to assist in taking seriously injured passengers to nearby hospitals.
Traffic department spokesman Zinhle Mngomezulu said though the cause of the accident was not yet clear, it was thought the brakes had failed, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Mngomezulu said the bus rolled down the mountain, hurling out bodies as it smashed through fences before landing on its roof in a stream more than 300m below.
Meanwhile, a truck driver in KwaZulu-Natal is facing two counts of culpable homicide for the death of a man and a woman after his truck collided with an oncoming vehicle on the highway between Howick and Pietermaritzburg yesterday.
The driver is said to have pulled over to relieve himself on the side of the road. While he was busy the truck started rolling and collided with another vehicle.
bus plunge ends in at least 28 dead
Kamva Mokoena and Sne Masuku
Kamva Mokoena and Sne Masuku
At least 28 bus passengers died when the brakes of the bus they were travelling in apparently failed and it plunged down a mountain in Eastern Cape yesterday.
And the death toll could even be higher.
The horrific accident happened in the morning near Kakashill village.
The bus, which was full of passengers, was travelling from Mvenyane to Matatiele.
Many of the passengers were either going to work or to shop in Matatiele.
At the time of going to press 28 passengers were reported dead and paramedics were still at the accident scene trying to rescue more passengers.
Police spokesman Superintendent Ralph Ruiters said the number of dead could even be higher since paramedics were still busy at the scene.
A helicopter was called in to assist in taking seriously injured passengers to nearby hospitals.
Traffic department spokesman Zinhle Mngomezulu said though the cause of the accident was not yet clear, it was thought the brakes had failed, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Mngomezulu said the bus rolled down the mountain, hurling out bodies as it smashed through fences before landing on its roof in a stream more than 300m below.
Meanwhile, a truck driver in KwaZulu-Natal is facing two counts of culpable homicide for the death of a man and a woman after his truck collided with an oncoming vehicle on the highway between Howick and Pietermaritzburg yesterday.
The driver is said to have pulled over to relieve himself on the side of the road. While he was busy the truck started rolling and collided with another vehicle.