Twenty people were injured in a road crash involving a bus and a bakkie on the R30 Derby-Rustenburg road in the North West Province in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Siyabonga Express Coach with Eastern Cape registrations was travelling from Derby towards Rustenburg with 75 passengers when it drove into the back of a stationary Nissan Navara 4X4 in a secondary crash at around 1h00. Both vehicles overturned after the crash.
The Navara had stopped for tow-trucks to recover a Renault that had overturned in an earlier crash.
Eight passengers from the bus were rushed in 7 ambulances to Job Shimakana Tabane Provincial Hospital in Rustenburg with serious injuries and 12 with minor injuries. Both the 48 year old driver of the Navara and the 46 year old bus driver were reportedly not injured.
In wishing the injured road users a speedy recovery, North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Ms Desbo Mohono confirmed that police are investigating a case of reckless and or negligent driving against the bus driver.
MEC Mohono appeals to drivers to observe safe following distances and to reduce speeding.
Police reports corroborated by North West Road Traffic Management authorities suggest that earlier reports by Netcare 911 that 75 people were injured and transported to Dr. George Mukhari Provincial Hospital in Gauteng (over 120 kilometers from the scene of the accident instead of Job Shimakana Tabane Provincial Hospital which is less that 30 kilometers from the scene) were unfortunate as they were incorrect.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 391 0420
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 0328
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Twenty injured in North West bus crash outside Derby
Province
