According to  Traffic Enforcement spokesperson for the Department of Police, Roads and Transport in the Free State, Kabelo Moloabi, seven people, two of whom were children, were travelling in a VW Polo when it collided with a truck at 17:50. The driver of the Polo survived the accident, while the six passengers in the same car died. 

Moloabi says it is believed the two children who died were twins. It is believed the tyre of the Polo burst after which the driver lost control and collided head-on with the oncoming truck.

There were three occupants in the truck of which two of them sustained minor injuries. They were taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

Meanwhile, eighteen people have been injured after a taxi overturned on the R702 outside Bloemfontein on Saturday. According to ER24 spokesperson, Annine Siddall, the accident happened next to the Caleb Motshabi informal settlement, known as Dinaweng. 

Siddall says that emergency services arrived at the scene at 11:30 and found some passengers lying outside of the wreckage, while others were walking around the scene. About 12 passengers sustained minor injuries.

Emergency services attended to the injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Local authorities were at the scene to conduct an investigation into the incident.

In another road accident, nine people were injured after the driver of a bakkie lost control of his vehicle about 40 kilometres outside of Kroonstad on the R721on Saturday morning.

ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene at approximately 06:00, and found the passengers of the bakkie lying in a field after they had been ejected from the bakkie.

One man was in a critical condition and was airlifted to the Randfontein Private Hospital by ER24 and One Plan Medical helicopter for further medical care.

Eight more men sustained minor to moderate injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals.

Local authorities were on the scene to conduct an investigation into this incident.

OFM News