Kwaggafontein - The driver of a tipper truck alleged to have caused the bus accident on the Moloto road did not run away, Mpumalanga police said on Wednesday.
“We found him at the scene and obtained a statement. We know where he stays,” said Colonel Leonard Hlathi.
“We are verifying his driver's licence and his professional driving permit.”
Twenty-nine people died and 30 were injured when a bus and a truck collided near Kwaggafontein on Monday night.
The Mpumalanga public safety department said the accident occurred when an articulated truck drove into the back of a tipper truck before colliding with a bus and another vehicle, both coming from Pretoria.
The truck, carrying beetroot, crashed into the tipper while it was stationary, waiting for oncoming traffic to pass before turning right.
The truck then veered in front of an oncoming bus and collided with it head-on.
Department spokesman Joseph Mabuza said a committee had been established to provide help to the bereaved families.
“It is believed that most of those who perished in the accident were from Matshiding village, near Siyabuswa, in Dr JS Moroka municipality.”
The SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union was saddened by the accident.
“Once again accidental, untimely death has claimed from among the working class mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and, most importantly, selfless, dedicated breadwinners... who traversed the nights of treachery and miseries of exploitation in a quest to sustain life for their loved ones,” spokesman Vincent Masoga said.
Bus company Putco confirmed the bus involved belonged to it.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said a team would investigate the accident.
“The team's brief is not limited to determining what caused the crash, but also includes coming up with proposed interventions to ensure the prevention of a further recurrence,” Peters said.
Sapa