One of the survivors of the horrific bus crash that claimed the lives of 16 people and left more than 30 people injured on Tuesday morning on the R21 in Ekurhuleni says he still can't believe how he made it out alive with no injuries.
Traumatised and still shaking, Philasande Phakade, 19, couldn’t clearly articulate his experience, but alleged the driver was speeding.
“It seems like the driver tried to overtake to avoid hitting the smaller car. I don’t know what happened then; I wouldn’t be able to tell. Maybe he lost control, I won’t say. I just saw people screaming,” he said.
He said when the bus started to roll he had given up and accepted that it was his day to die. He told TimesLIVE Premium that after the crash, the scene was chaotic with passers-by trying to save the lives of panicked and injured passengers.
According to an internal report of the road traffic management corporation, which TimesLIVE Premium has seen, the crash involved a MAN passenger bus owned by the City of Ekurhuleni and an unidentified light motor vehicle (LMV).
“Preliminary reports suggest that both vehicles were travelling in the third lane (from the right) of the R21. It is alleged that the LMV suddenly applied brakes after missing the off-ramp exit lane. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the bus driver also braked and swerved, resulting in the bus losing control, rotating clockwise, overturning, and coming to rest in the off-ramp lane, facing south,” reads the report.
The report added the crash resulted in 16 fatalities — 12 at the scene and four at the hospital.
“The number of injured people is still being confirmed, with reports currently indicating 11 critical injuries and an additional 24 individuals with serious to moderate injuries,” reads the report.
He said it seemed the bus hit the barrier wall on the side of the road.
Some of the traumatised witnesses described the accident scene as harrowing and devastating.
Raistitja Kganyago recounted the traumatic experience: “I was walking to work at the airport when I heard a loud bang. I thought it was an aeroplane, but as I approached the bridge, I saw people jumping off the bus and others helping passengers escape. ”
A visibly shaken Tshifhiwa Kwinda, 44, expressed outrage and frustration at the government's perceived failure to ensure the safety of public transport.
“The government has failed us. They check private cars, but they don't inspect government transport. They don't care about the safety of passengers,” he said.
He criticised the government's handling of public transport, citing the lack of accountability and inspections.
“We have buses like Rea Vaya that crash into cars or hit people on the road, and yet the government still fails to research accidents caused by these buses. The commuters have families to take care of, and I feel pain when such incidents happen.”
Nicky Mathebula described the scene as chaotic, highlighting the delayed response of emergency services He said the accident probably occurred around 6am.
I saw the bus on the road and then a military car stopped to help get the passengers out. Pedestrians and soldiers were assisting, but the police and emergency services arrived late, at around 6.40am,
— Nicky Mathebula
“I saw the bus on the road and then a military car stopped to help get the passengers out. Pedestrians and soldiers were assisting, but the police and emergency services arrived late, at around 6.40am,” he said.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson William Ntladi said when they arrived at the scene, they found patients scattered across the R21 heading to OR Tambo International Airport.
He said they worked with EMPD and the emergency personnel from various stations across the municipality and accounted for 45 patients with minor to critical injuries.
He said the driver of the bus was also hospitalised, and 12 passengers were declared dead at the scene.
“We had to close the entire freeway because of operational purposes, and we will open it after the mop-up operations. The freeway is still closed due to the fact that the investigation is ongoing by the forensic investigation teams from EMPD and SAPS,” he said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the death toll had risen to 16 as four more patients succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
Ekurhuleni MMC for roads, transport and fleet management Andile Mngwevu said they received a call around 6.45am.
“We can confirm that the bus was in a good state. It is its normal route and we also have a certification that confirms that our bus was in good condition and it went for a roadworthy [inspection] on February 10,” he said.
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