By Charmaine Ndlela
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has been given 48 hours to produce a preliminary report into the cause of the devastating N1 bus crash near Touws River in the Western Cape that claimed 16 lives on Thursday.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa announced the instruction after a bus travelling from Cape Town to Idutywa in the Eastern Cape overturned near the Gulfstream Garage shortly before 1am.
According to the Department of Transport, the bus was carrying approximately 78 passengers, including children, when it overturned.
Sixteen people died at the scene, while 20 others sustained injuries and were transported to Worcester Hospital for treatment. Another 43 passengers were assessed at the scene but declined medical assistance.
Creecy and Hlengwa have also conveyed their condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
The ministers have instructed the RTMC to work alongside provincial and local traffic authorities to establish the circumstances that led to the crash.
“The preliminary investigation report is expected within 48 hours once the RTMC begins its investigation,” Creecy and Hlengwa said.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has also been directed to provide the necessary support to the bereaved families and those injured in the crash.
Provincial Traffic Chief Maxine Bezuidenhout confirmed that the crash occurred shortly after midnight when the bus overturned on the N1 near Touws River. Emergency services remained on the scene for several hours as rescue teams extracted trapped passengers and recovered the deceased.
The bus driver survived the crash and is receiving treatment in hospital.
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