Thirteen people lost their lives on Tuesday, May 28, in a head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a truck in Limpopo, a northern province of South Africa.
Further details about the crash, such as the exact location, time, and the cause of the collision, are yet to be known as at the time of this report.
The accident has prompted a response from emergency services and transport authorities, who are likely to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.
The accident happened around dawn on the highway outside Polokwane, 320 kilometres (200 miles) from the country’s economic hub Johannesburg.
“Thirteen people have died. There was no survivor,” Limpopo media liaison officer Vongani Chauke said, adding that the taxi had 11 people on board, nine of them female.
“The cause of the accident is under investigation but a preliminary examination showed the driver of the truck travelling in thick mist lost control of his vehicle before colliding with the taxi.
“The accident happened due to reckless driving,” Chauke said.
At least two bodies, including the truck driver, are yet to be removed from the wreckage.
South Africa’s Regional Transport Minister Florence Radzilani, who visited the scene, stated that most of the passengers in the minibus were teachers on their way to work.
“We are truly devastated as a province,” she said.
While South Africa boasts one of the most developed road networks on the African continent, it also has one of the worst safety records.
In March, 45 pilgrims traveling from Botswana for Easter festivities died when their bus plunged off a bridge into a ravine and caught fire in Limpopo.
An eight-year-old girl survived the horrific crash, which left some bodies burned beyond recognition.
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