RTMC investigating crash that claimed 16 lives
JOHANNESBURG - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has deployed a team of investigators to look into the cause of the crash that claimed the lives of 16 people in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
The death toll was initially reported at 15.
It is believed the devastating accident happened when a minibus taxi and a bakkie collided head-on on the R63 Road between Adelaide and Maqoma, formerly Fort Beaufort.
Four survivors were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. This is the highest number of fatalities seen in a single crash in the last few months in the Eastern Cape.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said authorities are still probing the circumstances of the crash.
"We cannot know what the cause of the crash is. It is under investigation. The investigation will find out what the events that led to the crash.'
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) spokesperson, Mmatshikhidi Rebecca Phala, said the incident has deeply saddened them.
"This is a heartbreaking loss for the affected families and the country at large. It is especially devastating as it follows shortly after a successful Easter road safety campaign during which no major crashes were recorded on the national roads."
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