KZN Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, has called for murder charges to be laid against the bus driver and owners of the company involved in the Tongaat bus crash on Tuesday morning.
The bus plunged off a bridge over 50 metres high, leaving behind a devastating scene that emergency responders described as “one of the worst in recent memory.” The vehicle had reportedly departed from the main bus stop at 06h00, transporting workers to their jobs when disaster struck.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, early reports allege that the bus experienced brake failure shortly before veering off the bridge.
The tragic crash claimed three lives, while fifteen other passengers were injured. One person remains entrapped in the wreckage.
Speaking to the media at Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo Hospital this afternoon, Duma gave a detailed update on the victims:
9 patients have been admitted to public hospitals, 7 men and 2 women, all in a critical but stable condition under close medical care.
6 more victims were taken to a private hospital:
- 1 has already been discharged.
- 2 (a male and a female) are in ICU, with one of them on a ventilator.
- 3 (2 females and 1 male) are in the surgical ward with multiple fractures.
MEC Duma confirmed that the bus driver survived and made it clear that leniency is not an option.
“I’ve instructed the Road Traffic Inspectorate to work with SAPS to ensure the driver doesn’t escape justice. This is not culpable homicide, this is murder,” Duma said.
He added that the owners of the bus company must also be investigated, particularly regarding the roadworthiness of the vehicle involved in the crash.
Duma praised the coordinated efforts of emergency services and law enforcement, who worked tirelessly under difficult conditions to carry out the rescue and recovery operation.
As families anxiously wait for news, the province mourns yet another senseless road tragedy. Duma ended with heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
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