The death toll in an accident between a side tipper interlink truck and a bakkie transporting children on the N2 between Pongola and Itshelejuba on Friday afternoon has risen to 21.
KwaZulu-Natal emergency medical services spokesperson Robert Mckenzie initially said eight children and two adults had been killed in the horrific crash but said on Friday night the death toll had risen to 21.
He said two adults and 19 children had died.
Mckenzie said the children were primary school pupils aged between five and 12 who were being transported home from school.
“The cause of the crash is not yet known, but will be investigated by police.”
Dashcam footage
Meanwhile, dashcam footage has emerged online showing how the horrific crash happened.
In the video footage, the truck can be seen illegally overtaking other vehicles on double solid lines while the bakkie approaches from ahead of him.
The bakkie driver tries to swerve to the left to avoid crashing but he is too late.
The two vehicles collide head-on and the bakkie is dragged along by the truck.
A total of 10 people died on impact while 11 others died afterwards.
The truck accident has sparked protests in Pongola as community members demand trucks be barred from using the route. Many accidents have occurred on the N2 between Richards Bay and Piet Retief due to the high number of side tipper trucks transporting bulk goods to the harbour in Richards Bay.
Other road users have complained about reckless driving by these side tipper trucks which have resulted in serious accidents.
SA Trucker can confirm that it received many videos and pictures of these trucks driven recklessly on that stretch of the N2 highway.
So often, these trucks are snapped overtaking in front of oncoming traffic forcing other vehicles to the road shoulders.
Judging by comments from frequent users of the highway, traffic authorities are not very visible on the dangerous highway.
Listen: “I was fleeing from police after blocking the road” ATDF-ASA member in Pongola crash confesses
The death toll in the horror crash on the N2 highway in northern KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 21. 19 of the deceased are children, aged between 5 and 12 years. The accident happened near Pongola in the eMakhalathini area. #DStv403 #eNCA pic.twitter.com/DdTzZiDR7p
— eNCA (@eNCA) September 16, 2022
