A Toyota Hiace minibus from Mozambique overturned on Friday, 18 April around 05:00.
Tragically, two passengers – one male and one female – were killed.
Three passengers sustained serious injuries, while eight others suffered minor injuries.
Two individuals, including the driver, were not injured.
The accident occurred at the N4/4 Klein Olifants Dam, Middelburg, at kilometre marker 26.0W.
The minibus was en route to Carnival City with members of the IPAC church.
Be responsible
The news of the accident comes a day after the Road Accident Fund (RAF) encouraged road users to be responsible on the roads this Easter weekend, while highlighting the significant costs that road accidents have on government spending and society.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, the RAF settled claims to the value of R45.6 billion.
The amount included R47 million for funeral claims, R21.6 billion for loss of earnings, R12.7 billion for general damages, R2.6 billion for loss of support and R1.7 billion for medical compensation.
‘Fatality free’
“The RAF pleads with South African road users to make this Easter fatality free by using the roads responsibly.
“Road fatalities and trauma result in devastating emotional, social and economic costs to the victims, their families and the country.
“This calls for an immediate change of attitude by all road users.
“Easter 2024 recorded the highest Easter weekend fatalities since 2019 with 335 deaths.
“This was a sharp increase from 252 deaths in 2023,” the RAF said.
Human error, vehicle failure, and environmental factors all significantly contributed to the 1 325 fatalities recorded from 2019 to 2024 Easter weekend car crashes.
Major human factor contributors were speeding, jaywalking, and hit-and-run.
Vehicle related factors that resulted in the highest accidents were tyre bursts, brake failures, and smooth tyres. Environmental factors such as poor visibility, sharp bends, stray animals, and road surface defects also jeopardise peoples’ road safety and require caution.
Have you ever successfully claimed through the RAF?
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