A bus crash along the N2 between Mandeni and Stanger in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) on Sunday afternoon resulted in the death of 9 people, including a 4 year old child. According to reports, 39 other people were left injured.

Accordong to a local ambulance service, IPSS Medical Rescue, authorities were called to the scene at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon. Upon arriva to the scene, an 82 seater bus was seen lying down a steep embankment.

“While Paramedics worked to triage patients and stabilising the most critically injured, behind the scenes, teams began identifying hospitals and clinics who would be able to accept patients.” added IPSS Medical Rescue

12 critically injured passengers were reportedly found near the wreckage, and at least 80 passengers were transported to various medical facilities, with injuries ranging from minor to critical. Several passengers however declined hospital treatment and were not transported.

A team from the Road Traffic Management Corporation has reportedly started with the South African Police Service to establish the exact cause of a crash.

The crash involved a passenger bus from Pontys Transport in Tongaat, who was reportedly transporting church members from Richards Bay to Shakaskraal.

According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, preliminary reports suggest that the crash happened due to a tyre failure, causing the driver to lose control. The bus subsequently went through a crash barrier, plunged down an embankment, and overturned.

Authorities were due to returned to the scene of the fatal bus crash on Monday morning to retrieve parts of the wreckage to aid its investigations into the cause of the crash. The retrieved parts of the wreckage will reportedly be taken to the road traffic inspectorate Offices in Gingindlovu for further investigations.

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