8 People killed in N2 Empangeni accident between truck and vehicle

• Eight people were killed and 16 were injured on the N2 in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on 11 May 2025
• A truck collided with a delivery vehicle, eight were declared dead on the scene, and others were rushed to nearby medical facilities
• South Africans were worried about the rate of accidents involving trucks, and some discussed truck drivers' driving skills

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

EMPANGENI, KWAZULU-NATAL — Eight people were killed and 16 were seriously injured when a truck collided with a delivery vehicle on the N2 near Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal on 11 May 2025.

What happened on the N2?

According to SABC News, the cause of the accident is unclear, but it's believed the crash occurred in the early hours of the morning. The light delivery vehicle was transporting passengers when it collided with the truck.

Emergency medical personnel from KwaZulu-Natal Private Ambulance Service responded and found that the eight occupants of the vehicle were already dead. They then assisted the sixteen survivors who sustained injuries. Local authorities launched an investigation into the accident.

Accidents on the N2 in KwaZulu-Natal

• A bus collided with two cars on the N2 southbound near eSikhaleni on 15 December 2024, killing one person and causing a pile-up
• KZN Premier Velenkosini Hlabisa's driver was killed in an accident on the N2 on 12 January 2025
• Two people were killed in two separate crashes involving trucks on 17 February, and one of the accidents happened on the N2
• The province's MEC for Transport, Sboniso Duma, visited the scene of a horrific accident on the N2 on 10 March 2025, which resulted in the death of eight people, including a toddler
• Six people were killed in an accident on the N2 northbound near the NPC Cement Factory on 6 April, and a six-year-old boy was among those who were killed in the crash

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on SABC News' Facebook post were worried about the rate of accidents on the road.

Trust Kekana said:

"People are dying every day. It's a blessing to be alive. It's wise to pray for your beloved ones every day before they go to work."

Lesiba Thaba said:

"Truck drivers, bafethu. They don't rest. They are the main course of this."

Thirtee Four said:

"Church people died, and people thought that it was football fans."

South Africans heartbroken after 15 killed in Eastern Cape

In another article, Briefly News reported that 15 people died and five were injured in a head-on collision between a taxi and a bakkie in the Eastern Cape. The incident happened on 4 May.

Five others sustained serious injuries when the accident happened between Maqoma and Adelaide. The taxi was travelling from Qonce to Cape Town in the Western Cape when it collided with the bakkie, which travelled in the opposite direction.

Source: Briefly News