15 People Killed in Eastern Cape Accident, Minibus Taxi and SUV Collide Near Graaff-Reinet
- 15 people were killed when a minibus taxi and a Mazda SUV collided on the N9 in the Eastern Cape
- The N9 outside Graaff-Reinet has been closed from both sides as emergency services attend to the scene
- There have been numerous accidents this festive season, with Gauteng and KZN accounting for the most
Source: Getty Images
EASTERN CAPE - A head-on collision on the N9 has left numerous people dead and many others injured.
The crash occurred on the N9 route, approximately 20km outside Graaff-Reinet, in the early hours of Monday, 16 December.
While information is slowly trickling in, it is understood that 15 people have now been killed in the crash.
Minibus taxi involved in head-on collision
According to eNCA, the crash occurred when a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi collided with a Mazda SUV on the stretch of road.
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Six occupants of the Mazda were declared dead at the scene, while nine people from the taxi also passed away.
11 people have also been injured, and some passengers remained trapped in the wreckage. The injuries range from minor to serious.
Unathi Binqose from the Eastern Cape Transport Department confirmed that two children aged between six and seven years old were killed in the crash.
RTMC urges motorists to practise extreme caution
In the wake of the accident, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) urged motorists to exercise extreme caution.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane appealed to motorists to exercise caution, saying that the crash was a blow to road safety efforts this festive season.
"We want to call on motorists to exercise caution on the roads and people to better manage fatigue because we know that exhaustion, both physical and mental, affects a driver's judgement," he said.
Government identify 20 of SA’s deadliest roads
On 2 December, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy launched the 2024 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign.
During her address, the minister said they were aiming for a safer festive season by identifying 20 high-priority routes in the country where the most fatalities occurred. The Eastern Cape province accounted for seven of those routes, but the N9 is not among them.
On Tuesday, 10 December, the minister released preliminary stats, which showed that within the first week of the month, 162 fatal crashes were recorded, with 193 people passing away.
That number has since increased. Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) accounted for the most fatal accidents during that period. On Friday, 13 December, one person was killed in KZN following an accident involving 11 vehicles.
10 killed in Free State crash
Briefy News reported on 8 December that 10 people were also killed in another horror crash involving a taxi on the N1.
Three men and seven women were killed when a taxi drove into the back of a truck between Koppies and Kroonstad
South Africans took to social media to express concern that there will be more serious festive season crashes.
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Source: Briefly News
