Mpumalanga bus crash: Two people killed, 22 injured

Two people, a man and a woman, were tragically killed on Monday 16 December 2019, in a bus crash in Kranspoort, Middelburg in Mpumalanga. 

According to ER24, 22 others sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious.

Details of the bus crash 

When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after 9:00 on Monday morning, they found another medical service at the scene. 

Upon further assessment, paramedics found a bus lying on its side and two people were found with fatal injuries and were declared dead at the scene.

ER 24 paramedics said in a statement: “22 patients were assessed and treated at the scene before being transported to hospital by various medical services at the scene for further medical care.”

“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident were not known, but police were on the scene for further investigations,” it added. 

Pretoria bus collision in separate incident 

In a separate incident on Sunday 15 December 2019 in Pretoria, a collision between a bus and a truck left almost 30 people injured. The driver allegedly lost control, causing the bus, along with the luggage trailer to overturn. 

According to SABC News, the collision took place at the bottom of the Eeufees offramp on the N14 national route highway, which runs from Springbok in the Northern Cape to Pretoria in Gauteng.

Acting District Commander for the Tshwane Fire Department, Mervyn van Ginkel explained that a bus and truck were involved in the collision when the bus overturned on the N14 and Eeufees offramp. 

“The bus was carrying 36 people and 29 people have been injured. 28 people were transported to the Tshwane District Hospital while one critically injured woman was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital,” said Ginkel.

“When we arrive on the scene, we see how many people were involved and then prioritise our patients according to their injuries. The most serious patients will get transported first,” added Ginkel.   

A fire engine,  command vehicle and various ambulances were deployed to the scene. 

Ginkel explained that the South African Police Service (SAPS) will be investigating whether the drivers were under the influence of alcohol and whether their vehicles were road-worthy.  

More than 100 drunk drivers were arrested in one weekend in Gauteng. The highest breathaliser recording was more than ten times above the limit.