Fourteen people killed in Eastern Cape head-on collision

Fourteen people have died in an accident involving an SUV and a minibus taxi on the N9 outside Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape on Monday morning.

Eastern Cape department of transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said that the SUV, with six occupants, and the minibus taxi, collided head-on.

It is alleged that the Hyundai Creta was travelling from Middelburg to Graaff-Reinet, while the minibus taxi was headed in the opposite direction towards Middelburg when they collided head-on.

All six occupants of the SUV, believed to be family members, died on the scene, along with seven from the minibus taxi.

The 14th victim later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Eleven people from the minibus taxi have been transported to the local hospital with injuries.

The cause of the crash is still unknown and is under ongoing investigation.

Transport and Community MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed his deep sadness regarding the accident, offering sincere condolences to the grieving families and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

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Eastern Cape head-on collisions

The Eastern Cape has reported several incidents of head-on collisions recently.

On Sunday, 8 December, three people died, while two other sustained injuries in a head-on collision involving a van and a sedan on the R61 road near Bizana.

According to the department, the sedan with two occupants collided head-on with the van with three occupants.

“The two male occupants of the sedan, along with a female passenger from the van, all died on the scene. The two other occupants of the van, including the driver, were rushed to hospital with serious injuries,” said the department at the time.

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A case of culpable homicide has been opened with the Butterworth police station.

The department has called on motorists to be extra vigilant on the roads as the volume of traffic on some of the province’s roads is expected to increase sharply starting from this weekend.

The province has deployed all its law enforcement personnel to keep high visibility, with special focus on some of the major roads connecting with neighbouring provinces, such as the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State that links the Eastern Cape with northern provinces such as Gauteng.

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