An employee of the company that owns the bus that was involved in a horrific crash that claimed the lives of 21 people in Limpopo on Monday said passengers were trying to escape the wreckage by climbing out of the windows of the bus while it lay by the river side.

A bus from Mabirimisa Bus Services collided with a cash-in-transit truck on the N1-29 Mashovhela, towards Musina in the Vhembe District, around 5pm. Sixty people were injured, of whom nine passengers are reported to have sustained serious injuries, 16 had moderate injuries, while 35 had minor injuries. The drivers of both vehicles sustained moderate injuries. 

Speaking to Sowetan on Wednesday, general manager of Mabirimisa Bus Services, Robert Mabirimisa, said he received a call shortly before 6pm from a tow-truck company informing him of the incident.

“I was driving from Polokwane to Makhado when I got the call. I then called an employee to go to the scene of the accident and check what had happened,” said Mabirimisa.

The employee, who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity, said she arrived at the scene just after 6pm. 

“The passengers were screaming and shouting as they tried to climb out of the bus through the shattered windows. The paramedics and police had not yet arrived at the scene when the commuters were trying to escape. The other vehicle was standing on the side of the road.”

She said the bus had completed two local trips on Monday before it was involved in the crash. 

Mabirimisa said the last time one of their buses was involved in an accident was about 15 years ago when it collided with another bus.

“The bus that got involved in Monday’s accident was roadworthy and had no technical issues. After the accident, it was damaged beyond repair. 

“We are saddened by what happened. This is bad for us because our commuters are like family to us. We transport these people every day from their homes to work in town. We sympathise with the families that lost their loved ones,” said Mabirimisa.

He said the bus that was involved in the incident was bought in 2016 at a cost of R2.5m and the Nzhelele (Makhado) company has a fleet of 32 buses.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said a case of culpable homicide was under investigation.

Transport and community safety MEC Florence Radzilani said꞉ “According to reports, a truck that was overtaking another vehicle lost control and collided with the bus. The bus fell into a bridge, and 19 people died on the scene. Paramedics and rescue personnel were able to retrieve 19 bodies from the crash, and two lost their lives in hospital,” said Radzilani.

In another deadly motor vehicle crash, seven people were killed in a head-on collision between a truck and minibus on the N8 near the Maseru border post on Tuesday.

kokam@sowetan.co.za