A school bus crash in South Africa claimed 12 lives and injured 7

When a minibus carrying the children to school in the Johannesburg area overturned and caught fire after being struck by another car, twelve children were killed in South Africa early on Wednesday.

This was revealed in a statement released by the Gauteng provincial administration on Wednesday.

While seven more kids were taken to the hospital, the minibus’s driver also perished.

It was unable to provide the kids’ ages right away.

Television footage from the early morning incident near Merafong, more than 70 kilometers west of the city, revealed that the minibus was completely destroyed by the flames.

The statement read, “A private scholar transport minibus was involved in a tragic accident in the Kokosi-Wedela area in Merafong, claiming the lives of the 12 learners and their driver.

“Additionally, seven other learners have been rushed to a medical facility for urgent medical attention.”

“I am profoundly saddened by this tragic event. The loss of our children is a devastating blow to our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and injured learners,” Gauteng education minister Matome Chiloane said in the statement.

Despite having one of the most advanced road networks on the continent, South Africa has one of the lowest rates of road safety.

AFP