Shock over horror bus accident
2012-07-22 08:08
Port Elizabeth - The accident which led to 18 people being killed on Saturday near Cradock in the Eastern Cape was shocking and saddening, Deputy Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said in a statement on Saturday.
"We are terribly shocked and saddened at the news of this horrific incident. The loss of such innocent lives on our roads is completely unnecessary," said Chikunga.
"We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the families of the bereaved and wish those injured a speedy recovery.”
Two school children were among the 18 killed when two buses collided on the R61 between Cradock and Graaf-Reinet in the Eastern Cape, Arrive Alive said earlier on Saturday.
Fourteen people were seriously injured in the crash. They have all been transported to hospitals in the area.
One of the buses was carrying schoolchildren to an event in Graaf-Reinet when it collided with a bus carrying passengers from Cape Town to Mthatha.
It remains unclear whether the accident was a head-on collision or a side-swipe.
Chikunga would visit the scene of the accident and the hospitals where survivors were receiving treatment.
"We urge our traffic law enforcement officers to leave no stone unturned in their investigation of this crash.
"In just the past three weeks, more than 50 people have died on South Africa’s roads as a result of tragic crashes," Chikunga said.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation has dispatched a team of specialists to the scene of the collision to investigate the exact cause.
Chikunga called on all motorists to exercise caution on the roads.
- SAPA
