Two separate vehicle incidents claim seven lives in Limpopo

LIMPOPO – The MEC for the Department of Transport and Community Safety, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, has sent condolences to the families of seven people who died in separate vehicle collisions.

Lerule-Ramakhanya has cited negligence and speeding as the possible causes in both incidents.

In the first incident, five people lost their lives after a minibus and a sedan collided head-on at around 05:00 Monday (August 16).

The incident happened along the R510 road outside Northam and according to the media liaison officer for the department, Mike Maringa, five people died while another nine were injured.

He explained that four people were certified dead on the scene while a fifth died on the way to a hospital. “Of the nine people injured, three sustained serious injuries while another six sustained minor injuries.”

He added that the injured were taken to Amandebut Hospital in Northam.

Meanwhile in the Vhembe district, two people are dead and another four injured when the vehicle they were traveling in overturned outside Malamulele on Sunday evening.

Maringa said the incident happened along the D3877 road between Mahonisi and Mukhomi Villages at around 19:00.

“It is alleged the driver lost control of the vehicle due to high speed. The vehicle overturned killing two people and injuring another four passengers.”

Maringa explained that the driver and a male passenger were certified dead on the scene while other three occupants sustained serious injures and were rushed to  the Malamulele Hospital for medical treatment. “Four occupants escaped with minor injuries,” he said.

Lerule-Ramakhanya reiterated her call on motorists to obey the rules of the road and to not speed unnecessarily.