Four teachers were killed in a freak accident yesterday when the taxi in which they were travelling collided with the blade of a bulldozer being transported on the back of truck.
Part of the blade, extending out past the side of the trailer carrying the bulldozer, ripped through the side of the taxi as it travelled in the opposite direction.
Three women died at the scene. A fourth woman colleague was declared dead on arrival at the Ngcwanguba Community Health Care Centre.
Eight other passengers of the taxi were rushed to hospital with minor to serious injuries. The incident took place on the road to Coffee Bay.
The deaths of the four teachers has dealt a major blow to the school where they teach, which only has a staff compliment of 20 teachers.
Their identities have not been released as their next of kin are still being informed.
The impact on the right hand side of the taxi – where the victims were all seated – left them with fatal wounds to their heads and upper bodies.
The truck and taxi were travelling in opposite directions along the narrow, potholed stretch of road when the collision occurred. The truck, owned by the public works department, was not being escorted despite carrying an abnormal load.
The collision, which took place at around 7.45am, baffled authorities as both vehicles remained in their lanes. The truck came to a stop some 100m from the point of impact.
The teachers had been travelling in their “staff taxi” from Mthatha.
They taught at Mt Packard Junior Secondary School (JSS) in E-Magcalekeni village, Lower Nenga Administrative Area.
A distraught school principal Mullet Madlalisa said the deaths would leave a “huge gap” in the school.
“It’s a disaster, both for teaching and school development.
“It’s a setback because we had great plans with these teachers. I relied on them,” said Madlalisa.
The latest incident brings to nine the number of people killed in recent road accidents.
On Saturday three girls and a boy, all under the age of 10 years, were killed on their way home from church.
They were struck by a truck as it veered off the road after colliding with a taxi near Mthontsasa village. They were identified as Asiphe Magidigidi, 9, and her sister Philasande, 7, and relatives Akhumzi Mawangana, 6, and Yongama Mawangana, 7.
The identity of the taxi driver, who died in the accident, could not be established at the time of writing.
In yesterday’s incident, Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the taxi driver, who had minor injuries, was taken for blood alcohol tests.
Machaea said yesterday’s accident was unusual as none of the vehicles had overturned and both remained in their lanes.
“It is a freak accident. We are puzzled, really,” said Machaea.
Mqanduli police spokesman Major Zamukulungisa Jozana said they were investigating cases of culpable homicide, reckless and negligent driving and drunk driving.
Taxi owner Mendu Sitoyile said he had last seen his driver two hours prior to the accident, but could not say if he was intoxicated. “If he drank, then it was last night because I saw him in the morning,” he said.
Sitoyile said he was concerned that blame for the accident would be placed on his driver to shield the government.
Public works department spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the truck was involved with construction work in Coffee Bay.
He sent “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the deceased and said the bulldozer was on its way to a warehouse in Mthatha.
“We have sent a team to investigate and we cannot speculate on what happened exactly until a full report has been compiled,” said Zuzile.
When the scene was finally cleared five hours later, a local leader thanked the 100-strong crowd of residents who assisted paramedics, police and traffic officers.
The secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union Mqanduli branch, Wandile Ngceba, offered the union’s condolences.
Freak accident kills four
Part of the blade, extending out past the side of the trailer carrying the bulldozer, ripped through the side of the taxi as it travelled in the opposite direction.
Three women died at the scene. A fourth woman colleague was declared dead on arrival at the Ngcwanguba Community Health Care Centre.
Eight other passengers of the taxi were rushed to hospital with minor to serious injuries. The incident took place on the road to Coffee Bay.
The deaths of the four teachers has dealt a major blow to the school where they teach, which only has a staff compliment of 20 teachers.
Their identities have not been released as their next of kin are still being informed.
The impact on the right hand side of the taxi – where the victims were all seated – left them with fatal wounds to their heads and upper bodies.
The truck and taxi were travelling in opposite directions along the narrow, potholed stretch of road when the collision occurred. The truck, owned by the public works department, was not being escorted despite carrying an abnormal load.
The collision, which took place at around 7.45am, baffled authorities as both vehicles remained in their lanes. The truck came to a stop some 100m from the point of impact.
The teachers had been travelling in their “staff taxi” from Mthatha.
They taught at Mt Packard Junior Secondary School (JSS) in E-Magcalekeni village, Lower Nenga Administrative Area.
A distraught school principal Mullet Madlalisa said the deaths would leave a “huge gap” in the school.
“It’s a disaster, both for teaching and school development.
“It’s a setback because we had great plans with these teachers. I relied on them,” said Madlalisa.
The latest incident brings to nine the number of people killed in recent road accidents.
On Saturday three girls and a boy, all under the age of 10 years, were killed on their way home from church.
They were struck by a truck as it veered off the road after colliding with a taxi near Mthontsasa village. They were identified as Asiphe Magidigidi, 9, and her sister Philasande, 7, and relatives Akhumzi Mawangana, 6, and Yongama Mawangana, 7.
The identity of the taxi driver, who died in the accident, could not be established at the time of writing.
In yesterday’s incident, Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the taxi driver, who had minor injuries, was taken for blood alcohol tests.
Machaea said yesterday’s accident was unusual as none of the vehicles had overturned and both remained in their lanes.
“It is a freak accident. We are puzzled, really,” said Machaea.
Mqanduli police spokesman Major Zamukulungisa Jozana said they were investigating cases of culpable homicide, reckless and negligent driving and drunk driving.
Taxi owner Mendu Sitoyile said he had last seen his driver two hours prior to the accident, but could not say if he was intoxicated. “If he drank, then it was last night because I saw him in the morning,” he said.
Sitoyile said he was concerned that blame for the accident would be placed on his driver to shield the government.
Public works department spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the truck was involved with construction work in Coffee Bay.
He sent “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the deceased and said the bulldozer was on its way to a warehouse in Mthatha.
“We have sent a team to investigate and we cannot speculate on what happened exactly until a full report has been compiled,” said Zuzile.
When the scene was finally cleared five hours later, a local leader thanked the 100-strong crowd of residents who assisted paramedics, police and traffic officers.
The secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union Mqanduli branch, Wandile Ngceba, offered the union’s condolences.
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