Pretoria – The Gauteng provincial government said it had appointed a senior counsel to lead a team probing a Putco bus fire that left six people dead and at least 14 injured on the notorious Moloto Road last month.
Although Putco is conducting its own investigation into why the bus burst into flames outside Tshwane municipality on May 21, it was essential to have an independent team look into the incident, Gauteng member of the executive council for public transport and roads infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo said on Sunday.
The team, led by advocate Myron Dewrance, includes fire investigation experts who will interview witnesses and other people impacted by the tragedy.
The investigation will focus on the cause of the fire and determine whether there was negligence on the part of the bus company, which is contracted to the department. The team will also determine whether Putco is liable in terms of its contractual obligations.
“Advocate Myron and his team have a critical task of getting the real facts and determining if there was negligence on the part of Putco. This is important in giving the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, as well as those injured, the truth of what happened so that they can have closure and heal from this tragedy,” said Mamabolo.
“We know Putco is conducting its own investigation, however, we have appointed an independent team to probe the incident. They can’t be both the referee and player on this matter.”
The investigators have been given 30 days to conduct their probe and submit recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
The bus carrying 63 passengers was travelling from Marabastad and headed for Tweefontein in Mpumalanga when it caught fire, prompting those on board to scramble to escape the vehicle.
African News Agency (ANA)