Tragic Road Incident Claims Seven Lives in Limpopo, South Africa

Johannesburg, Dec 23 (NationPress) Seven individuals lost their lives and five others sustained injuries in a road incident in Limpopo Province, located in the northeastern part of South Africa, as reported by local authorities.

The crash took place on Sunday and involved a collision of seven vehicles, including a minibus transporting passengers, on the N1 highway close to Ga Phasha, a village in Limpopo Province. This information was provided by Violet Mathye, a member of the executive council for transport and community safety at the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.

The injured parties were promptly taken to a medical facility, Mathye stated.

"We call upon our drivers and pedestrians to exercise greater caution while navigating our roads during the festive season. Road safety is a shared responsibility," Mathye mentioned.

She extended her condolences to the families of the deceased and noted that an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the accident.

In a separate occurrence, twelve individuals were killed and others seriously injured in a head-on collision in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Local authorities confirmed on Sunday that this incident happened around 8 p.m. local time on Saturday on the N2 road near Dutywa, a town within the Mbhashe Local Municipality in the province.

According to Unathi Binqose, spokesperson for the Provincial Transport Department, the crash involved a minibus taxi carrying ten passengers and a bakkie— a term used in South African English for a pickup truck— with four occupants.

Of the bakkie's passengers, "three men died at the scene, while a female passenger suffered severe injuries," Binqose reported.

"In the minibus taxi, eight individuals tragically perished— four men and four women. Two others were injured and quickly transported to a hospital for medical assistance," he said. "This has been the second most devastating crash since the festive season commenced."

One injured woman from the minibus taxi later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, raising the total number of fatalities on Eastern Cape roads that Saturday alone to 23 from four different accidents, as confirmed by spokesperson Xinhua news agency.

This incident occurred just days after a head-on collision on the N9 road outside Graaff-Reinet, another town in the same province, claimed 15 lives on Monday.

Police have initiated a culpable homicide case for further investigation.

Binqose also stressed the need for motorists to exercise extreme caution during the festive season to avert additional loss of life.

"Drivers must assume greater responsibility, being extra cautious and patient with each other to prevent head-on collisions," he stated.