WATCH | Human error identified as preliminary cause of crash that claimed lives of 13 pupils

Human error has been identified as the preliminary cause of a devastating crash between a truck and a minibus transporting school children on Monday morning which claimed the lives of 13 pupils.

The accident happened in Vanderbijlpark. The minibus was transporting children to five schools in the area.

Speaking at the scene of the crash, Gauteng Traffic spokesperson Sello Maremane confirmed that 12 victims died at the scene, while one pupil later succumbed to injuries in hospital.

Maremane said traffic authorities were alerted to the crash shortly before 7am after reports of a collision involving a minibus taxi ferrying pupils and a heavy motor vehicle.

“The driver of the minibus taxi sustained minor injuries, while the truck driver was not injured. A passenger in the truck suffered slight injuries,” he said.

“According to preliminary investigations, the minibus driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and failed to notice an oncoming truck in the opposite lane.

“The driver tried to overtake and did not realise that the articulated truck was approaching. When he attempted to return to the left lane, the minibus collided head-on with the truck,” Maremane said. The vehicle that was allegedly being overtaken was not found at the scene.

We are calling on learner transport operators, bus operators and trucking companies to voluntarily bring their vehicles for testing so we can check critical components like brakes and windscreens

—  Gauteng Traffic spokesperson Sello Maremane

Maremane extended condolences to the families of the victims, saying the tragedy adds to a growing national road death toll.

“The minister of transport recently reported that more than 1,400 people have lost their lives on South African roads since the beginning of December,” he said.

He stressed that the crash highlights the urgent need to strengthen safety measures in scholar transport.

“We deploy traffic officers at schools daily and conduct vehicle inspections. We are calling on learner transport operators, bus operators and trucking companies to voluntarily bring their vehicles for testing so we can check critical components like brakes and windscreens,” he said.

Maremane acknowledged challenges with compliance.

“We are dealing with the human element. Almost 80% of crashes are attributed to human error. Unfortunately, some operators do not comply and we have to enforce the law to ensure the safety of our learners.”

Investigations into the crash continue. Authorities have indicated that further details will be released as more information becomes available.