Bus accident in South Africa kills 5, injures 35

Bus accident in South Africa kills 5, injures 35

2011-08-30 23:03:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

PRETORIA (BNO NEWS) -- Five people were killed and dozens more were injured when a passenger bus overturned on a highway near the South African capital of Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon, emergency officials said.

The accident happened on the N1 highway near Carousel, north of Pretoria, when the bus veered off the road and overturned, skidding to a halt on its side. Around 40 people were on board the bus.

"Initial reports indicated that four people had been killed. The body of a fifth person has since been found," said Jeffrey Wicks, a spokesman for Netcare 911. "Several occupants of the vehicle had sustained critical injuries, ranging from chemical burns to multiple fractures. Approximately thirty-five people were injured in total."

Wicks said the victims of the accident were stabilized at the scene before they were transported by ambulance to Kalefong State Hospital and Steve Biko Academic Hospital for further treatment.

"Common cause information suggests that a front wheel blow-out caused the driver to lose control of the passenger coach which pushed from the road and overturned," Wicks added. Police have launched an investigation.

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 the poor maintenance of buses and taxis.

Last Wednesday, a school bus carrying around 60 children plunged into a river in the Western Cape province of South Africa, killing 14 children and their driver.

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