A total of twenty people died in a railway level crossing accident that took place two kilometres outside Malelane towards Hectorspruit when a train collided with a truck carrying farm labourers who were going to harvest oranges at a nearby farm.
The accident happened early this morning, 13 July 2012 and nineteen people died on the scene while the twentieth victim died while being transported to a nearby hospital.
Twenty four other people were seriously injured and were transported to Tonga, Shongwe and Robs Ferreira hospitals in Nkomazi and Mbombela respectively where Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe will later visit them.
MEC Shongwe has once more called on road users to exercise due care and diligence while driving. “Let us be more vigilant and exercise extreme care so that more lives could be saved on our roads. It is saddening indeed to be losing so many lives in once accident,” the MEC said.
Although earlier indications are that the driver of the truck, who escaped with serious injuries, may not have stopped at the railway crossing when the accident happened. The police are meanwhile investigating to determine factors that may have led to the accident.
MEC Shongwe is sending condolences to the bereaved families and also wishing those who were injured in these accidents a speedy recovery.
Level Crossing accident claims twenty lives in Mpumalanga
Province
