A TRANSLUX bus travelling from Cape Town to East London overturned on the R63 between King William’s Town and Stutterheim yesterday injuring 17 people.
Eastern Cape department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said 15 of the injured passengers were rushed to Grey Hospital in King William’s Town and another two passengers – one seriously injured – were taken to Stutterheim Hospital.
Kupelo said the accident occurred just after 7am and seven ambulances had been dispatched to the scene.
The Dispatch visited injured passengers in hospital yesterday where they accused the driver of speeding in wet conditions. They alleged he lost control on a corner resulting in the bus tipping onto its side and coming to a rest lying across the road.
Passenger Sakhiwe Notholi said the bus left Cape Town at 5pm on Sunday.
“The drivers switched positions in Queenstown early in the morning.
“When we approached Stutterheim it was raining and the driver looked tired. He kept on speeding and when the bus started swinging sideways we all got up on our feet and by the time he crashed the women were all crying,” Notholi said.
Simphiwe Ntantiso said he feared the worst when stowed luggage started falling on passengers.
“Even then the driver could not stop, that should have been a sign that he is speeding,” he said, while being treated for a knee injury.
Mdantsane resident Sabelo Nkosi, who was with his wife, Buyiswa and their five-month-old daughter, said he had feared for their lives. “It was the first time we have been involved in an accident,” said Nkosi, while seated in a wheelchair nursing his wounds with a drip attached.
He said after the impact he could not feel his knees and back.
After the bus was pulled back onto its wheels, police officers from Izele police station entered vehicle and started collecting luggage.
A provincial traffic officer at the scene, Thembakazi Caza, told the Daily Dispatch that the bus accident was one of five accidents to take place on that stretch of road over a three-hour period. Minutes before the bus accident she said a state-owned Polo sedan had been towed away after the driver lost control trying to avoid two cows.
“All drivers of the vehicles said the accidents occurred due to the same conditions of the wet slippery road and poor visibility due to the thick fog in the area,” said Caza.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said police were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving. Ingrid Ramalekana of Autopax – the company which operates City to City and Translux buses – could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za / mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Horror bus crash leaves 17 injured
Eastern Cape department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said 15 of the injured passengers were rushed to Grey Hospital in King William’s Town and another two passengers – one seriously injured – were taken to Stutterheim Hospital.
Kupelo said the accident occurred just after 7am and seven ambulances had been dispatched to the scene.
The Dispatch visited injured passengers in hospital yesterday where they accused the driver of speeding in wet conditions. They alleged he lost control on a corner resulting in the bus tipping onto its side and coming to a rest lying across the road.
Passenger Sakhiwe Notholi said the bus left Cape Town at 5pm on Sunday.
“The drivers switched positions in Queenstown early in the morning.
“When we approached Stutterheim it was raining and the driver looked tired. He kept on speeding and when the bus started swinging sideways we all got up on our feet and by the time he crashed the women were all crying,” Notholi said.
Simphiwe Ntantiso said he feared the worst when stowed luggage started falling on passengers.
“Even then the driver could not stop, that should have been a sign that he is speeding,” he said, while being treated for a knee injury.
Mdantsane resident Sabelo Nkosi, who was with his wife, Buyiswa and their five-month-old daughter, said he had feared for their lives. “It was the first time we have been involved in an accident,” said Nkosi, while seated in a wheelchair nursing his wounds with a drip attached.
He said after the impact he could not feel his knees and back.
After the bus was pulled back onto its wheels, police officers from Izele police station entered vehicle and started collecting luggage.
A provincial traffic officer at the scene, Thembakazi Caza, told the Daily Dispatch that the bus accident was one of five accidents to take place on that stretch of road over a three-hour period. Minutes before the bus accident she said a state-owned Polo sedan had been towed away after the driver lost control trying to avoid two cows.
“All drivers of the vehicles said the accidents occurred due to the same conditions of the wet slippery road and poor visibility due to the thick fog in the area,” said Caza.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said police were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving. Ingrid Ramalekana of Autopax – the company which operates City to City and Translux buses – could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za / mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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