11 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least twelve children have died on Wednesday in a traffic accident between the school bus in which they were travelling and a van that crashed into the back of the vehicle, causing it to overturn and catch fire, all in the town of Merafong, on the outskirts of the South African city of Johannesburg.
Gauteng provincial authorities, which said in a statement that the accident occurred at around 6.45am (local time), said the minibus driver was also killed. Seven other students were also taken to hospital for treatment.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of the students and offered his condolences to the families, friends, fellow students and educators of the deceased children. He also wished the injured a “speedy and full” recovery.
“The loss of such young lives at the start of a new school term affects us all as a nation. We wish the families and school communities affected all the best as they mourn the passing of children who have been deprived of realising their potential and spending their lives with family and friends,” he said.
The ages of the children have not been made public, but authorities have indicated that they were students at two primary schools (Rocklands and Laerskool Blyvooruitsig), so their ages must be between six and 13 years old.
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