No fewer than twelve children were killed in South Africa on Wednesday morning after a minibus transporting them to school near Johannesburg crashed and caught fire after being hit by another vehicle.
The Gauteng provincial administration confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The driver of the minibus was also murdered, and seven other children were taken to the hospital. It could not immediately provide the ages of the children.
According to television photos, the minibus was completely destroyed by flames after the early morning crash in Merafong, more than 70 kilometres west of the city.
The statement read, “A private scholar transport minibus was involved in a tragic accident in the Kokosi-Wedela area in Merafong, claiming the lives of the 12 learners and their driver.
“Additionally, seven other learners have been rushed to a medical facility for urgent medical attention.”
“I am profoundly saddened by this tragic event. The loss of our children is a devastating blow to our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and injured learners,” Gauteng education minister Matome Chiloane said in the statement.
