Johannesburg | Sixteen people were burned alive in a minibus taxi after a collision with another vehicle on a road in Limpopo province, in northeastern South Africa, local authorities were told on Wednesday. .
“The bus caught fire, 16 occupants of the minibus-taxi, trapped, were burned alive. The driver of the SUV was also killed instantly ”leading the death toll to 17 in total in the accident on Tuesday, regional Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Maringa told AFP.
Eight people were injured. According to initial findings, “the driver of the SUV lost control of his vehicle after a tire burst and collided head-on with a 22-seater bus,” added the spokesperson.
Often full to the brim, minibus taxis are widely used as a form of public transport by South Africans. The condition of vehicles and the conduct of drivers are often blamed for insecurity on the roads.
Despite having one of the most developed road networks on the continent, South Africa is one of its worst performers when it comes to road safety. Nearly 1,500 people were killed on the roads during the Christmas holidays, which corresponds to the summer holidays in the southern African country, according to the transport ministry.