Johannesburg - Ntokozo Mahlangu is one of the people involved in the horror crash on the notorious Moloto Road who lived to tell the tale.
The crash on Monday night has left 29 people dead and 30 injured after a Putco bus, two trucks and a 4x4 were involved in a pile-up in Mpumalanga.
The crash happened in Vlaklaagte near Kwaggafontein at about 8pm on Monday when an articulated truck crashed into the back of a tipper truck while both were travelling south-west on the R573, also known as the Old Moloto Road.
An oncoming Putco bus, which was transporting passengers from Pretoria, was hit head-on by the tipper truck, killing 26 people at the scene.
Another three died later in hospital.
The 4x4 became involved in the crash when it collided into the back of the bus.
Monday was Mahlangu’s 26th birthday. He aid he was on his way to Pretoria with a friend and just before 8.30pm, they were behind the Putco bus on their way home. Approaching ahead was a construction truck. Behind it was another huge truck carrying crates full of beetroot.
Mahlangu said the construction truck misjudged the speed of the bus and decided to turn at an intersection instead of waiting for the bus to pass. But the bus hit it, and so did the beetroot truck - which left the road covered in red juice.
Tiyani Rikhotso, spokesman for the national Department of Transport, said: “They came to an intersection where the tipper truck had to turn right and obviously the driver had to bring the vehicle to a halt to turn.
“It would appear that the articulated truck then hit it from behind and pushed it into oncoming traffic,” said Rikhotso.
At the time of publication, Rikhotso said it was believed all the deaths were passengers on board the bus, while the 30 injured people were taken to hospital.
“The driver of the bus was among the fatalities,” said Putco spokesman Romeo More.
Meanwhile, Rikhotso said investigators were searching for the driver of the tipper truck.
A witness who drove past the crash scene on Tuesday morning said although the scene had been cleared, he was horrified by the devastation.
“It’s extremely bad,” said Matintane Mamahlodi, the principal of Entokozweni Secondary School, near where the crash happened.
“A full investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of the accident and Putco will co-operate fully with authorities in this regard,” More said.
More refused to speculate whether the vehicles were speeding or who was responsible for the crash, but confirmed the crash happened in rainy conditions.
Rikhotso also did not want to be drawn on the cause of the crash while an investigation was under way.
“We wouldn’t want to make assumptions… this is obviously a monumental crash and a lot of people have lost their lives,” Rikhotso said.
He said his department had sent a team including the Mpumalanga traffic authorities and the Road Traffic Management Corporation to investigate the crash.
“Those who are found to be at fault should face the full might of the law,” he said.
Families affected by this accident can contact Norma Maswanganye from Putco at 082 330 9277.
Other deadly crashes:
* October 24: One person dies and 35 are hurt when a bus and a truck crash 50km from on Monday night’s crash on the R573.
* September 5: A truck smashes into four taxis and two cars at Field’s Hill in Pinetown, killing 24.
* September 1: Ten die as a bus carrying people returning from the reed dance at the Enyokeni Palace overturns in KwaZulu-Natal.
* March 15: Two children and 22 adults die in De Doorns in the Western Cape when a bus falls into a ditch on the Hex River Pass. Sixty-six are injured.
*June 25, 2012: Putco bus crashes into a ditch in Meyerton, killing 19.
SA’s 4 deadliest roads:
* The R61, which leads on to the N2 in the Eastern Cape;
* The R573 / Moloto Road between Pretoria and KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga;
* The N1 northbound and southbound in Limpopo to and from Musina; and
* The N3 in KwaZulu-Natal between Mooi River and Durban.
Source: Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC)
[email protected] and botho.molosankwe.co.za
The Star