Five schoolchildren killed as bus, train collide in S’Africa

Five children were killed Wednesday after a train collided with a school bus in South Africa, injuring 20 others, the transport ministry said in a statement.

The accident occurred in the afternoon near the village of Mafube, close to the city of Middelburg, about 180 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of Johannesburg, according to local media.

“A tragic accident at a level crossing, involving a bus and a train… resulted in the deaths of five children and injuries to 20 others,” the government statement confirmed.

“The safety of our children is paramount, and it is heartbreaking to witness such a loss,” Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa said.
Police reported that the bus driver fled the scene after the accident, the transport ministry said.

The train driver and crew were not injured.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear and an investigation was underway, authorities said.

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on Wednesday evening called on law enforcement agencies “to intensify their road safety campaign involving scholar transportation, as this is the second biggest crash involving (a) scholar transport vehicle this month.”

Earlier in July, 12 children were killed when a minibus taking them to school overturned and burst into flames after being hit by another vehicle near Johannesburg.

“This tragedy, which regretfully is not the first of its kind to confront us, demands that we exercise our obligation to protect our children with the utmost care,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the time, offering his condolences.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent but also one of the worst road safety records, in part due to reckless driving and unroadworthy vehicles.

Privately owned minibus taxis are the main mode of transport for millions of working-class South Africans.

Many parents have to rely on private minibuses to get their children to school.

AFP.