Muthomi Ireri
In a tragic incident on Wednesday, twelve schoolchildren and their driver lost their lives when their minibus overturned and caught fire in Gauteng province, South Africa, officials reported. The accident occurred just a day after schools reopened following the winter holidays.
The crash took place in the town of Merafong, located west of Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub. Seven other children sustained injuries in the accident. Reports indicate that a small truck, known locally as a bakkie, collided with the rear of the minibus carrying the children, causing it to overturn and burst into flames.
Education and transport officials, along with the head of the Gauteng provincial government, Panyaza Lesufi, visited the crash site and the hospital in Carletonville, where the injured children were being treated. Gauteng education department spokesman Steve Mabona stated that 11 of the deceased children were students at Rocklands Primary School, while the twelfth attended Laerskool Blyvooruitsig in Carletonville.
“The pupils’ transport was hit from behind by a bakkie, causing it to overturn and subsequently catch fire,” Mabona said, describing the incident as a “horrific accident.”
In Gauteng, thousands of schoolchildren depend on private minibuses for their daily commute to and from school. Many others rely on public transportation, including municipal buses and taxis, across South Africa’s most populous province.
Dj Vnyash
Silverio Omari
