Fatal crash on Moloto Road claims two lives as truck collides head-on with bus

09 December 2019 - 11:05
By Isaac Mahlangu
Fatal accident on Moloto road
Image: Isaac Mahlangu Fatal accident on Moloto road

Two people have been certified dead and a dozen others taken to hospital after an articulated truck collided with a Putco bus on the notorious Moloto Road on Monday morning.

A stretch of the road around Moloto village was complete closed, with traffic redirected through the village from around 6am following the crash. 

The truck was carrying concrete pillars while the Pretoria-bound bus was carrying commuters from Gemsbok in the former KwaNdebele homeland.

The road, parts of which are undergoing a multibillion-rand upgrade is notorious for fatal accidents, often involving Putco buses.

Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Gabisile Shabalala, said in a statement that the two fatalities were a bus passenger and another person who was in the truck, who "died on their way to the hospital". 

Shabalala said 12 people sustained serious injuries while six more people escaped with minor injuries. 

The injured were stabilised on the scene before being rushed to nearby hospitals. 

The road remained closed at around 10am in the morning as emergency services personnel were still clearing the rubble on the road.