Bus survivors: Screams, then darkness
2012-06-26 09:43
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A bus crash in Meyerton, Gauteng, has left 19 people dead and 55 injured. Paramedics worked to free 85 people trapped inside the Putco vehicle. See all the pictures.
Johannesburg - Survivors of the Meyerton bus tragedy described hearing a loud crash, people screaming and then just darkness.
Nineteen people, including the bus driver, were killed in the disaster and 55 were injured. The bus was on its way from Sebokeng to Meyerton on the R59 north on Monday morning when it crashed through a barrier on a bridge and plummeted several metres into a ditch below.
“I was so scared I went cold,” said Martha Mshwamo, who was on her way to work, told The Star.
“Everything just went black,” said John Maine, who was standing near the front of the Putco bus.
“Then I just saw people lying around, people dead, it was terrifying,” said Maine.
The driver had apparently taken a different route on Monday morning due to protests on the designated route. He had tried taking a left turn but was allegedly going too fast and lost control of the vehicle.
Putco spokesperson Raphiri Matsaneng said the company will do an independent investigation to establish the cause of the accident.
Transport Minister Ben Martins has also instructed his officials to investigate the cause of the crash, The Star reported.
The driver had started working for Putco in September last year and worked as a truck driver for 16 years before that.
