VRYHEID – A deadly collision between a passenger bus and a truck on the R34 near Vryheid in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province has left 12 people dead and several others injured.
The crash occurred just after midnight, with emergency services responding to a chaotic scene involving scores of injured passengers and mangled vehicles. Authorities confirmed that 10 people died on the spot, while two more succumbed to their injuries later in hospital.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said both vehicles were severely damaged in the crash, which involved the truck slamming into the side of the bus after a head-on collision. 
At least 32 passengers were transported to various hospitals, and two drivers are among those seriously injured. Six passengers from the bus survived without injury.
Preliminary reports suggest that the bus was carrying supporters who had attended a Youth Day political rally. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Transport MEC Siboniso Duma’s office confirmed that the department is working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to establish all the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.
