Africa News
Road crash kills 13 in South Africa
Sep 30, 2011, 14:13 GMT
Johannesburg - A minibus and a truck collided on Friday on a freeway in south-eastern South Africa, killing 13 people and injuring seven, local media reported.
The bus was found by rescue workers underneath part of the commercial truck, which had slid off the road and down an embankment near Pietermaritzburg, a town outside of Durban.
Two large tow-trucks and hydraulic equipment were called in to lift the truck off the commuter vehicle and rescue the survivors trapped underneath.
Among the dead was a small child. Three of the injured were being treated in hospital and were in critical conditions.
According to a report on the Times' website, officials believe the minibus driver went into oncoming traffic, side swiping a small car and colliding head on with the truck that was traveling in the opposite direction. Further investigations were underway.
Minibus-taxis are a cheap and common form of transport in South Africa, but they are involved in a large number of road accidents, with accusations that its drivers fail to follow safety rules.
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