Cape Town – Nine schoolchildren were left injured when the vehicle transporting them home from school lost control and collided with a tree in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday afternoon, 19 January 2026.
The incident occurred on Sarnia Road near Sarnia School, where a seven-seater scholar transport vehicle smashed into a tree as it was carrying the learners.
Emergency services, including Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedics, responded swiftly to the scene, tending to the children who sustained minor to moderate injuries.
ALS spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said the injured pupils were treated at the scene before being transported to various hospitals for further medical care. “Once the children have been stabilised on site, they’ll be transported to various hospitals for the further care that they require,” Jamieson explained.
JUST IN | Nine children have been injured when their scholar transport lost control and crashed into a tree near Sarnia Primary School in Pinetown, west of Durban. Injuries range from minor to moderate. ALS paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson has the details. pic.twitter.com/VL3UuD2wTE
— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 19, 2026
The situation at the scene was described as tense, with parents rushing to check on their children while multiple ambulances attended to the injured. Jamieson added that “the scene is a little chaotic as parents make their way to the area, and traffic is congested due to the presence of ambulances.”
The Pinetown crash comes against the backdrop of broader concerns over scholar transport safety in South Africa, with another tragic incident on the same day in Gauteng’s Vanderbijlpark area claiming the lives of several learners in a separate accident.
WATCH | Thirteen learners have lost their lives following a tragic scholar transport accident near Vanderbijlpark. Authorities are investigating the crash as families, schools, and the wider Vaal community mourn an unimaginable loss. pic.twitter.com/f8HbOxXvc5
— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) January 19, 2026
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
