Six people were killed and 49 others injured when the bus they were travelling in plunged off a cliff on Long Tom Pass on Friday afternoon, the Mpumalanga community safety, security and liaison department said.
Medics said the bus had apparently veered off the road. Long Tom Pass is a mountain pass on the R37 between Lydenburg and Sabie.
“The six perished at the scene on impact. Initially, it was reported that there were two fatalities. The emergency personnel and other stakeholders who were working on the scene uncovered more bodies” the department said.
The injured were transported to nearby hospitals. The department said the cause of the accident is now a subject of investigation by various stakeholders.
MEC Vusi Shongwe appealed to road users to exercise caution during the festive season.
He said it was deeply disheartening for the province to start the season on such a grim note.
“We are concerned about the number of fatalities that the province recorded so far from the crashes since last week. We continue to make a clarion call to motorists to be extremely vigilant amid rising traffic volumes. They should be patient and plan their trips accordingly,” Shongwe said.
TimesLIVE
Six killed as bus plunges off cliff on Long Tom Pass
Image: 123rf.com/Jaromír Chalabala
Six people were killed and 49 others injured when the bus they were travelling in plunged off a cliff on Long Tom Pass on Friday afternoon, the Mpumalanga community safety, security and liaison department said.
Medics said the bus had apparently veered off the road. Long Tom Pass is a mountain pass on the R37 between Lydenburg and Sabie.
“The six perished at the scene on impact. Initially, it was reported that there were two fatalities. The emergency personnel and other stakeholders who were working on the scene uncovered more bodies” the department said.
The injured were transported to nearby hospitals. The department said the cause of the accident is now a subject of investigation by various stakeholders.
MEC Vusi Shongwe appealed to road users to exercise caution during the festive season.
He said it was deeply disheartening for the province to start the season on such a grim note.
“We are concerned about the number of fatalities that the province recorded so far from the crashes since last week. We continue to make a clarion call to motorists to be extremely vigilant amid rising traffic volumes. They should be patient and plan their trips accordingly,” Shongwe said.
TimesLIVE
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