Eight people have been confirmed dead following a tragic crash between a minibus taxi and a rigid 8 ton truck on the N3 highway between Van Reenen’s Pass and Montrose in the Free State.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson Sipho Towa confirmed the fatalities, saying paramedics arrived to find multiple passengers with critical injuries. “Sadly, eight people were declared dead on the scene,” Towa said.
“Several others sustained serious injuries and were treated before being transported to nearby hospitals.”
The collision, which occurred early on Thursday morning, forced the closure of the busy N3 route as rescue and recovery operations continued for several hours. Traffic between Van Reenen and Swinburne has been heavily backed up, with authorities urging motorists to avoid the area if possible.
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but reports suggest that the taxi and the truck collided head-on. SAPS is on the scene conducting preliminary investigations.
N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) has also advised motorists to exercise patience and caution, as cleanup operations and the removal of wreckage are still under way.
Watch: Serious Truck and Taxi Crash Closes N3 Between Van Reenen and Montrose
This tragic incident adds to a worrying trend of fatal crashes along the N3 corridor, one of South Africa’s busiest freight and passenger routes connecting Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
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