Sixty-four pupils were injured after a school bus going to a government event in Mpumalanga was involved in an accident.
Sixty-Four Pupils Injured In A Mpumalanga Accident
The accident occurred on 22 May 2024. One driver was seriously injured while dozens of Holeka Secondary School pupils sustained minor injuries.
The accident occurred on the R534 road near Nhlazatshe and involved a bus, a minibus taxi, and a truck. Thankfully, there were no fatalities reported. The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety is currently investigating the crash.
The pupils were going to Elukwatini where transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga’s was officiating an event. Chikunga was going to Elukwatini to assess multi-million-rand road infrastructure projects.
According to Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety spokesperson Moeti Mmusi, 64 pupils sustained minor injuries, while one pupil is in a serious condition at a local hospital. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
The Department of Education has deployed officials to Holeka Secondary School, where the injured pupils originated, to provide psycho-social support to those affected by the accident.
The Department’s spokesman, Gerald Sambo said the accident has shaken them, as the Holeka Secondary School pupils were en route to a ministerial imbizo in Hlazatshe in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality.
“Officials from the Inclusive Education and Wellness section will be deployed to the school to render psycho-social support to the pupils. The department is also committed to ensuring the pupil’s well-being is taken care of and providing any necessary assistance at this time.”
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Are Children Safe On The Roads?
Similar tragedies have occurred in the past.
In 2022 a horror crash in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, claimed the lives of 21 people, including 19 students, when a truck collided with a minibus taxi transporting them home from school.
Last year, a Grade 5 pupil died while 80 others got injured in Limpopo when their school bus lost control as they were coming from a sports event.
