The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot yet confirm the drama. “The South African police are still investigating,” a spokeswoman said on Saturday. “We are waiting for that. But if we have confirmation, we will inform the family first.”
A total of five people were killed in the horrific crash, as described by those involved. The accident took place on the N4 toll road in the direction of Mbombela. That is at the Schoemanskloof pass in the province of Mpumalanga, in eastern South Africa. The other two victims would come from within the country itself.
delivery van
A spokesman for the provincial safety department said the two vehicles collided with each other. “The accident happened when a truck and a minibus taxi were involved in a side collision,” he told local media. “The truck then collided head-on with a van traveling in the opposite direction.”
He added that the three Dutch occupants were in a Quantum minivan that belongs to tour company Eco Coaches. It would be adults. The driver of the minibus and that of the van were also killed.
Ambulances were quickly on the scene, after which it soon became clear that five victims had not survived. The other injured were rushed to hospitals. The road was closed for the rest of the day, and was not reopened until Saturday morning.
Cabin
“The cause of the accident is still unclear and an investigation is underway,” the department spokesman said. According to spokesperson Kyle van Reenen of emergency service Emer-G-Med, the driver of the truck had to be cut out of his cabin.
Road accidents in this province of South Africa are a regular occurrence. In February, 69 people would not have survived. The spokesman for the department of security again expressed his concern about this. “We all have to do our part to prevent these crashes. Our roads must not be turned into killing places by reckless drivers.”