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Emergency crews were trying to lift the bus back onto its wheels
to see if any more victims were trapped underneath it, said
William Nthladi, a spokesperson for the city’s Ekurhuleni
Emergency Management.
“On arrival we found patients lying across the road," Nthladi
said.
The bodies of some of the victims lay on the highway near the
bus and were covered with silver blankets. Two bodies were still
trapped in the wreckage, Nthladi said. Handbags, a lunch box and
a water bottle were visible among the belongings.
“We are lost for words. This is a disaster,” said Andile Mngwevu,
a local city councillor who went to the scene. “To see so many
bodies lying around is quite saddening, and the city really
feels for the families who would have expected to see their
loved ones return home later today. Our hearts are extremely
heavy right now.”
The early-morning crash happened on a highway near
Johannesburg’s main O.R. Tambo International Airport. The bus
was lying on its side near the edge of the highway. It had been
transporting people from the township or Katlehong, east of
Johannesburg, officials said.
Nthladi said 12 people were declared dead at the scene of the
crash by paramedics. A fire engine, ambulances and pathology
vans were deployed.
Nthladi said he couldn’t give exact details on the extent of the
injuries but said they ranged from serious to critical. The
driver was among those taken to the hospital.
No other vehicle was involved in the crash and officials weren’t
yet able to determine the cause.
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Associated Press video journalist Alfonso Nqunjana contributed
to this report.
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