Horror crash toll may rise

2008-11-12 16:14

Thabisile Khoza & Oris Mnisi

Bushbuckridge - The death toll from an accident in which two trucks collided head-on on the road between Bushbuckridge and Dwarsloop in Mpumalanga on Wednesday morning may rise.

So far 23 people have been confirmed killed and nine injured when the two trucks, one of which was carrying forestry workers to work, collided.

"We suspect that there more people may be trapped under the trucks because villagers told us that the truck usually transported 60 people to work everyday," said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Superintendent Abie Khoabane.

The driver of the truck carrying the workers was killed, while the other driver and eight forestry workers are in a critical condition at the Mapulaneng hospital.

Identifying meat from bodies

The other truck was transporting loaves of bread and chicken to a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Acornhoek when the accident happened.

"We will know the exact number of dead once the sniffer dogs are able to identify the bodies from amongst the meat and mini loaves," Khoabane added.

The sniffer dogs were seen helping themselves to some of the food.

Khoabane said only two people were not hurt.

The accident took place early in the morning on a bend in the road.

Khoabane said the delivery truck appears to have lost control in the wet road conditions and hit the forestry truck head-on.

He said police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.

Truck owner at scene

The owner of the truck that was ferrying the workers, Silence Siwela of Casteel village, rushed to the scene but declined to speak to the media.

Mpumalanga MEC for roads and transport Jackson Mthembu and Ehlanzeni district Khosi Mkhonto, visited the scene on Wednesday morning while emergency workers were still busy extracting the bodies.

"We are very shocked and saddened by the accident," said Mthembu.

He said that last month, 29 people were killed in a road accident in Piet Retief and today we have lost 23 people on the road again," he said.

He said his department would establish a task team that would include the police, paramedics, traffic officers and disaster management to help the bereaved families.

"We are going to and are willing to help them if they would like to bury their beloved in mass funeral," said Mthembu.

He urged all road users to be cautious when driving in rainy weather and to reduce their speed and increase following distances.

- African Eye