Twelve schoolchildren from Kokosi died in an accident near Wedela this morning.
The deceased are learners from Rocklands Primary School and Laerskool Blyvoor.
The driver of the private minibus taxi in which they were travelling also died in the accident, which occurred at about 06:40 on the road between the N12 and Blyvooruitzicht. The taxi caught fire on the steep uphill section of the road just after the turn-off from the N12.
Although it is still not sure how the accident took place, a bakkie was also involved. The minibus in which the children were travelling caught fire and completely burned out.
“My grandson called me from the scene to tell me that his sister did not make it. He was taken to hospital but is extremely traumatized,” one of the family members at the scene told the Herald.
“My grandson is so brave even though he was burned as well. He even later phoned me from the hospital again,” the grandfather says.
According to him, the driver was only known as “Nathi” and the taxi does not belong to any of the taxi or school transport associations in the area.
Various officials of the SAPS and the Departments of Education, Health and Social Services are still busy at the scene. They pledged to prove counselling to the patients and family members affected by the tragedy.
Some of the family members already received treatment after hearing that their children were not among those taken to hospital, and had thus died in the accident.
According to the Fochville Station Commander Lt-Col Kgomotso Netshitangani the bodies of the children who died have been burned beyond recognition. For this reason they will have to be identified by DNA tests, which will take approximately two to three weeks.
Although the accident took place near Wedela, the case is being investigated by the police in Fochville, as it falls in their precinct.
