A crash involving a minibus taxi and a truck has claimed the lives of 15 people, including a two-month-old baby.
The crash happened along the N9 outside Middelburg in the Eastern Cape on Sunday night.
According to Eastern Cape Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose, the driver of a heavy-duty truck allegedly hit a stray animal, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.
“In his attempts to regain control, its trailer gave in and fell over.
“The trailer hit the fully loaded taxi that was driving in the opposite direction.
“Occupants of the taxi who died include nine females and four males as well as two children aged two years and two months,” he said.
Binqose said the victims were travelling back from a funeral in Tsolo village and were on their way back to Cape Town.
“This is an accident that is very freakish in its nature and of very fine margins.
“It is sadly an accident that has claimed all 15 lives of those on board the minibus taxi.
“Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Community Safety Xolile Nqatha sends his condolences to the affected families and is calling for all road users to be vigilant on the roads,” he said.
Binqose added that the process of identifying the bodies of the deceased was set to take place on Monday.
The bodies have since been moved to a government mortuary in Komani for the convenience of the relatives who will be arriving from various towns in the former Transkei region to identify their loved ones.
Cape Times