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Eight burnt beyond recognition in Limpopo fatal crash

Eight people were burnt beyond recognition after two vehicle collided on D4100 between Apel Cross and Leeuwfontein in Limpopo.

A private car and a taxi crashed and caught fire burning eight people to death.

A passenger, Rosina Kgasago whom we found seating on a bench with visible injuries on her left arm and shoulder at Matlala Hospital could not believe that she survived.

 

“How we survived I don’t know. I got out of the taxi through the window and I screamed for help from other motorists. Other motorists just passed but those who stopped offered their help. Those who stopped did not have fire extinguisher, only one person came with it and try to stop the fire.

“It was the grace of God that we survived because how the window got opened we still don’t know, but it was God’s grace,” explains Rosina Kgasago.

After she got out of the window with her blood stained bag, she stood devastated and watched other passengers burn.

An accident happened around 16:00, but when the Sowetan arrived on the scene at 18:50, the police and fire-fighters were still trying to clear the road.

 

While on the scene, three women who identified themselves as the relatives of the taxi driver, asked the police officials whether there were any survivors and also they asked to take photos.

According to transport department spoke-person, Kagiso Mootane, a taxi was driving from Apel Cross to Groblersdal, and the private car was travelling towards Apel Cross.

“A private car with two people lost control and hit the taxi which had fourteen passengers. Six passengers and two others were burnt beyond recognition and eight others survived”, said Mootane.

In Limpopo alone, 25 people were killed during Easter holidays. Chairperson of Apel Taxi Association, Thomas Maleka, said this is the first time they had an accident where six people died.

“It is for the first time we had accident like this, where six people die. Our driver was on the right way and then a driver of the private car, whom we don’t know if he was drunk or not, went straight and hit a taxi,” said Maleka.

Another survivor, Joas Moshobe said, he lost everything including his phone and ID.

”I lost everything including phone and ID. I don’t know how I got out there, am still asking myself how I managed to get out of the vehicle,” said Moshobe.

Later at the hospital, relatives of the taxi driver could not find him among the survivors. Eight survivors are still recovering at a hospital. 

ndlovusa@sowetan.co.za

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