By Anita Dangazele
- The bus was travelling from Cape Town to Idutywa when it overturned early on Thursday on the N1, killing 16.
- Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa sent condolences as 43 crash survivors refused hospital treatment near Worcester.
Sixteen people died when a bus overturned on the N1 at Gulfstream Garage in the Western Cape in the early hours of Thursday, 2 July. The bus was carrying 78 passengers, including children, from Cape Town to Idutywa in the Eastern Cape.
SAPS, along with emergency and disaster management personnel, responded to the crash at around 00:45. No other vehicles were involved.
Twenty people were injured and taken to Worcester Hospital for treatment. At the scene, 43 people refused medical treatment.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have expressed condolences to the families of those who died. They wished a swift recovery to everyone who was injured.
Creecy and Hlengwa have directed the Road Accident Fund to assist the bereaved families and the injured with the support they need.
They have also directed the Road Traffic Management Corporation to investigate the cause of the crash, working together with local authorities. A preliminary investigation report is expected within 48 hours of the investigation starting.
The death toll has shifted since the crash was first reported. SAPS initially put the number of dead at 15. The Western Cape Mobility Department and the National Department of Transport have both since confirmed the toll at 16.
The circumstances surrounding the crash have not yet been established. Police say the matter remains under investigation.
This story has been updated with new information.
Pictured above: A bus travelling from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape overturned near Touws River killing 15 passengers.
Image source: Supplied
