A bus carrying American tourists to Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga overturned on Wednesday on the R540 Road between Dullstroom and Lydenburg, leaving 18 passengers injured.
Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Moeti Mmusi confirmed the incident, stating that the tourists were travelling from Johannesburg.
“A bus that was transporting American tourists to Kruger National Park overturned on R540 Road between Dullstroom and Lydenburg and 18 of them sustained injuries ranging from slight to serious,” Mmusi said.
He said the injured tourists are receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital in Belfast.
In another incident, a head-on collision occurred on Wednesday morning between a minibus taxi and a sedan on N4 between Emalahleni and Vosman.
Eight learners sustained injuries, with one being critically injured, Mmusi said.
“At the time of the crash, learners were being transported to school,” he added.
Additionally, another bus transporting learners overturned on the R573 Moloto Road, leaving several learners with minor injuries.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Jackie Macie urged motorists to use caution due to rainy weather and misty conditions affecting roads across the province.
"Without concluding on reasons for these and other crashes, we believe that the weather may have been the cause of most of these crashes,” Macie said.
“We are therefore calling on motorists to maintain prudent following distances, reduce speed and be extremely cautious when driving in misty and wet weather conditions.”
Macie also warned of potential flooding on some roads due to heavy rains and advised travellers to plan for possible delays.
He expressed particular concern about the involvement of vehicles transporting learners in crashes and emphasised the need for responsibility in following safety rules.
“Law enforcement officers and emergency personnel remain on high alert at this time in order to adequately respond to any situation on the road,” Macie added.
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