By Anita Dangazele
- The minibus taxi was carrying 14 adults and six children aged five to seven when it overturned on the N1.
- Three passengers were treated for minor injuries, while some on board did not have the required travel documents, police confirmed.
Six children between the ages of five and seven were among 20 people in a minibus taxi heading from Cape Town to Mozambique when it overturned on the N1 on Tuesday morning.
The accident happened just after 08:40, about 19km from Hanover towards Colesberg in the Northern Cape. Police say a trailer attached to the taxi developed a mechanical fault, causing the vehicle to flip.
Three of the 20 passengers, 14 adults and six children, were treated for minor injuries by paramedics on the scene. Nobody died in the crash.
It is the second crash involving people on the move across South Africa’s borders in as many days. On Wednesday morning, a bus driver died and 11 passengers were injured when a bus taking Malawians to the Beitbridge Repatriation Camp overturned on the N1 near Musina, more than 1,000km away.
Some of the passengers had travel documents. Others did not. Police have handed the matter to immigration authorities for further processing. Social Services have also stepped in to look after the children involved.
SAPS, Emergency Medical Services, immigration officials and Social Services all remained on scene helping with the aftermath.
Long distance taxis advertised out of Cape Town usually run between South African provinces, not across an international border. Who organised this specific trip, and how the passengers came to be travelling together, is still not known.
Police are urging all motorists to make sure their vehicles are roadworthy before setting off on long journeys, and to drive with caution.
Pictured above: Police lights.
Image source: Pexels
