The bodies of five schoolchildren from Morneg Combined School in the Wonderfontein area, in Mpumalanga province, have been transported to the Middelburg Pathology Department following a horrific accident involving their school bus and a train.
The collision occurred on Wednesday, near Mafube Village on the R104 road, where the pupils lived.
The crash was posted in the Middelburg Traffic Alert WhatsApp group, which helped dispatch emergency services to the scene and keep officers updated.
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The police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
Distressed family members could be seen carrying buckets filled with soil to cover blood stains.
Some members of the community had gathered at the scene to assist in identifying the bodies before they were transported to the state mortuary.
One pupil’s body was trapped in the bus, one was under the train, and two others were found near the accident scene.
Shoes, bags and various other items were seen scattered around the accident scene.
According to a press statement issued by the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security, and Liaison, five children died on impact while 20 were seriously injured.
The school bus was carrying 30 learners.
The bus driver was nearly attacked at the scene by angry residents. However, the driver was eventually transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
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Speaking to the media on the scene, the spokesperson of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, said his department was devastated by the incident and pledged support to the families during this traumatic time.
He added that the MEC of Education, Landulile Catherine Dlamini, will be in Middelburg on Thursday.
@middelburgobserver The spokesperson of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, addressing the media where five learners lost their lives in Mafube Village outside Middelburg. #middelburgobserver
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