The Gauteng Department of Education expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families of learners and educators who were fatally wounded in an accident near Harrismith in the early hours of this morning.
Learners from Phumula Primary School, in the south of Ekurhuleni, were on an educational tour to Durban when a truck reportedly hit the bus. There were 42 learners and 10 adults on the trip.
Information we have at this stage is that nine fatalities occurred. Three are critically injured at Hoogland Clinic in Bethlehem. Five of the injured are at Dihlabeng Regional Hospital, six at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Hospital and the rest are at Thebe Hospital in Harrismith.
The department is setting up a crisis centre at Phumula Primary. The Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development is assessing injuries with the local clinics and hospital with a view to deciding which of the injured can be repatriated to Gauteng hospitals.
The Free State traffic police are investigating the accident.
For more information contact:
Charles Phahlane
Tel: 011 355 1530
Cell: 071 860 4496
Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) saddened by death of learners and educators in bus accident
Province
