Mbombela - Seventeen people, including 10 tourists from the US, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Switzerland were injured when two minibuses, a car and a truck collided in Mpumalanga on Thursday.
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said that the accident happened on the R40, between Mbombela and White River, a Sapa correspondent reported.
“We have nine people who were seriously injured and eight who were slightly injured. All have been sent to different hospitals. For now there are no fatalities,” Mohlala said.
Preliminary investigations indicated a minibus taxi crashed into the back of another minibus transporting 10 tourists from the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.
“The taxi was transporting locals to Mbombela from the Plaston road that joins the R40. The minibus ferrying tourists swerved, hitting a truck and a Polo sedan,” Mohlala said.
One of the tourists was from Canada, one from the United States, two were from Germany, two from Switzerland and four from the Netherlands.
Three of the tourists sustained life-threatening injuries and were airlifted to hospital.
Mpumalanga community safety, security and liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe had to leave the provincial legislature in Mbombela, where he was presenting is R1 billion 2014/2015 policy and budget speech, to respond to reports of the accident.
“As the department we would like to wish the injured passengers and the drivers a speedy recovery. We call on the investigators on the case to swiftly shed light and arrest anybody who is at fault.”
Sapa