School bus accident in South Africa kills 15

School bus accident in South Africa kills 15

2011-08-24 23:23:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAPE TOWN (BNO NEWS) -- A school bus carrying around 60 children plunged into a river in the Western Cape province of South Africa on Wednesday morning, killing 14 children and their driver, emergency officials said.

The accident happened when the children, aged seven to sixteen, were on their way to school in Knysna, a town in Western Cape province. A spokesperson for rescue service ER24 said the driver of the vehicle reportedly lost control before leaving the road and entering a deep river.

"When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they noted that only the rear of the bus was visible above the water line. Paramedics immediately dispatched extra resources to the scene as it was evident that the incident was serious," the spokesperson said. "Paramedics found one child that was not breathing and had no pulse. They immediately started with resuscitation efforts, but to no avail as the child was later declared dead at the scene."

A diving unit was called in to assist rescue workers as more bodies were removed from the submerged bus. A total of 14 children as well as their driver were declared dead at the scene.

A further 42 children were taken to several area hospitals for injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to suspected back and neck injuries. ER24 said it has made trauma counseling available to those affected by the accident.

In a statement, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele pointed out that at least 60 people have died in six separate accidents this month. "We cannot go on like this. This horrific road crash in Knysna is yet again an unnecessary loss of lives," he said.

Roads in South Africa are considered to be among the world's most dangerous, with around 13,000 people killed every year. Many accidents are attributed to reckless driving and poor maintenance of buses and taxis.

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