Five Killed in N2 Minibus Crash Near Cintsa as Adverse Weather Wreaks Havoc in Eastern Cape

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Five Killed in N2 Minibus Crash Near Cintsa

Five people lost their lives in a tragic minibus taxi crash on the N2 highway between Cintsa and Brakfontein, just outside East London, on Tuesday morning, 10 June 2025. The driver, who swerved to avoid a fallen tree blocking the road, lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn. “The adverse weather conditions experienced all across the Eastern Cape have had a hand in this accident,” said Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose. The crash, which left the driver and a female passenger seriously injured, follows another major accident on the N10 the previous day, highlighting the dangers of icy and snowy conditions gripping the province. Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution as road closures and delays persist.

Deadly Crash on N2 Claims Five Lives

The fatal accident occurred early Tuesday morning on the N2, a key route connecting East London to surrounding areas. According to Unathi Binqose, the minibus taxi, carrying seven passengers, was travelling when the driver encountered a tree that had fallen across the highway, likely due to the severe weather battering the Eastern Cape. In an attempt to avoid the obstacle, the driver swerved, lost control, and the vehicle overturned, resulting in the deaths of five adults—three women and two men. “He [the driver] and a female passenger have sustained injuries and have been rushed to hospital,” Binqose confirmed.

Emergency services rushed to the scene near Brakfontein, but the five victims were declared dead on arrival. The driver and the surviving female passenger were taken to Frere Hospital in East London for urgent medical treatment. The N2 between Cintsa and Brakfontein has been closed, with motorists advised to use the Old Transkei Road as an alternative route. “We are calling on road users to be extra vigilant and careful under these conditions on our roads to avoid accidents like this one we have seen today,” Binqose urged.

The crash site, described as chaotic, saw emergency rescue teams battling adverse conditions to clear the wreckage. Snow and heavy rain delayed efforts, with a tow truck struggling to navigate through panicked motorists and truck drivers blocking the path. “The adverse weather conditions and mountain passes covered in thick snow contributed to the delay as the tow truck, big enough to retrieve the wreckage, also had to navigate through the snow,” Binqose explained. The Eastern Cape Transport Department issued an apology for the inconvenience caused by the prolonged closure.
Severe Weather Fuels Road Chaos
The Eastern Cape is grappling with a cold front bringing heavy snow, rain, and icy conditions, which have made roads treacherous across the province. The N2 crash is the latest in a string of weather-related incidents, following a head-on collision between two trucks on the N10 near Cradock on Monday, 9 June 2025. That accident caused an overnight backlog of vehicles, with icy roads and poor visibility exacerbating the situation. The N10 was reopened on Tuesday morning, but the N2 closure has added to the region’s traffic woes.

Weather experts attribute the extreme conditions to a powerful cold front sweeping across South Africa, bringing rare snowfall to lower-lying areas like Cintsa. Snow depths of up to 20 centimetres have been reported in some parts, with icy patches forming overnight. This has led to multiple road closures, including sections of the N2 and N6, as authorities struggle to keep routes clear. The South African Weather Service issued level 2 and 4 warnings for disruptive snow and rain, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel.

Eastern Cape’s Road Safety Crisis

The N2 crash underscores a broader road safety crisis in the Eastern Cape, where accidents have claimed numerous lives in recent years. In 2024 alone, the province recorded over 1,200 road fatalities, with minibus taxis involved in a significant portion due to their frequent use and often poor road conditions. A similar incident in March 2024 saw five people, including a minor, killed when a Toyota Quantum overturned on the N2 near Brakfontein, also en route to Butterworth.
Head-on collisions and rollovers remain a persistent issue, often linked to reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, or external factors like weather. In May 2025, a head-on crash on the R63 between Adelaide and Maqoma claimed 15 lives when a minibus taxi collided with a bakkie, highlighting the deadly risks of the province’s roads. Unathi Binqose, commenting on a 2022 crash that killed eight near Makhanda, noted that head-on collisions often involve “one reckless driver who has dragged an innocent driver into an accident.”
The Eastern Cape Transport Department has repeatedly called for improved road safety measures. “They need to be extra vigilant under these conditions on our roads to avoid accidents like this one,” Binqose reiterated after the Cintsa crash. Initiatives like the Arrive Alive campaign emphasize speed compliance, vehicle checks, and pedestrian safety, but adverse weather adds an unpredictable challenge.

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