20 die in South Africa minibus accident

20 die in South Africa minibus accident

2011-11-16 11:04:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 people were killed on early Tuesday morning when two minibus taxis were involved in an accident in South Africa, officials said. More than a dozen others were injured.

The accident happened at around 2 a.m. local time on the N1 national route between the cities of Leeu-Gamka and Prince Albert when two minibus taxis hit the side of a truck, causing one of the minibuses to overturn before being hit by the other from behind.

Robin Carlisle, Transport Member of the Executive Council, told News24 that 20 people had been killed as a result of the accident. Western Cape police spokesperson Malcolm Poje confirmed that a 20-month-old baby was among the fatalities.

Poje said those killed were all pronounced dead at the scene and are believed to have been passengers of the minibuses. In addition to the fatalities, officials said at least 14 others were injured and rushed to a local hospital, where two of them were reported to be in a critical condition.

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

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