By Nicholas Zaal.
Five pupils died when a bus they were in collided with a moving train on the R104 in Mpumalanga on Wednesday afternoon.
The accident happened near Mafube Village, between Wonderfontein and Arnot, while the bus driver was attempting to cross a railway line.
The bus was transporting about 30 pupils from Morneg School.
“It is alleged that the bus crossed a railway line while the train was too close, and [this resulted in] the crash, “said Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety and Security liaison Moeti Mmusi.
“Five learners lost their lives instantly. Eleven [people], including the bus driver and train operator, sustained slight injuries.”
Emergency services personnel were still at the scene at the time of publication.
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Jackie Macie said he was shocked to learn of the incident.
“Scholar transport and public transport owners must screen drivers before hiring them to know if they are really fit to be trusted with transporting people,” he said.
“They must also regularly educate them, test and train them to avoid these kinds of incidences.”
Macie called for a thorough investigation of the crash, saying the law must take its course to punish whoever was found to be in the wrong.
“We cannot lose such young and innocent lives due to recklessness. People need to take accountability for their negligence.”
He gave his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
This incident comes while the Carlentonville crash that claimed the lives of 11 pupils on the N12 is still fresh in the memory of South Africans.
The crash also involved scholar transport and saw officials, including MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Matome Chiloane, MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, as well as deputy mayor of Merafong City Godfrey Mogomotsi Sello, call for better regulation of scholar transport, which has oftentimes featured vehicles that are unroadworthy and packed to capacity.