One pupil dead in bus accident

A school pupil died in a bus accident on Friday afternoon  after the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The accident happened between Mangcwangule and Mthombe near Libode. The driver and seven school pupils were in the minibus at the time.

Department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed that the pupil died on the scene. The name of the deceased cannot be released until the next of kin has been informed.

The pupils are from Smuts Ndamase Senior Secondary School. The deceased is believed to be aged between 15 and 17-years old.

“One patient was air lifted to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in a critical condition. The other pupils were unhurt,” Kupelo said.

Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the cause of the accident was still unknown.

“There will be an investigation into what caused the accident.  There were no other vehicles involved. The driver lost control and the bus rolled down a hill into a forest,” Machaea said. – Siya Boya