Nineteen people were killed when a minibus taxi and a car collided head-on in the Free State, police said on Tuesday.
Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said both the car and taxi caught fire after they collided on the R26 between Frankfort and Tweeling on Monday.
“Some of the people were burned beyond recognition after the impact,” he said.
He said it was alleged that the accident occurred when the car, with four occupants, tried to overtake another car on the barrier line but instead collided with the on-coming taxi.
The taxi was travelling from QwaQwa and heading towards Johannesburg. Four occupants from the car and fifteen from the taxi died on the scene.
Mophiring said seven people were transported to Mafube District Hospital in Frankfort. Two critically injured people were taken to Pelelomi Trauma Centre Hospital in Bloemfontein.
The bodies of those who died were taken Sasolburg state mortuary.
By Monday night, seven of the injured were reported to be in stable conditions. The names of those who died have not been released yet.
On Monday, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said that reckless overtaking had been one of the main causes behind the over 800 deaths that have occurred on South African roads since 1 December.
“Major contributory factors remain speeds too high for circumstances, especially at night and during inclement weather, drinking and driving, drinking and walking and dangerous overtaking on barrier lines in the face of coming traffic,” said RTMC Spokesman Ashref Ismail at the time. -Sapa