PICS | ‘They were going on holiday’: Eight women killed in fiery N3 taxi crash

Women

Durban – Eight people have been confirmed dead following a horrific crash involving a minibus taxi and a heavy-duty truck on the N3 between Van Reenen’s Pass and Montrose early Thursday morning.

According to traffic authorities in the Free State, preliminary reports indicate that the taxi — which was travelling from Virginia to Durban — veered into the wrong lane before colliding head-on with an oncoming truck at around 5 a.m.

Chairperson of the Road Incident Management Systems, Sipho Towa, said the cause of the vehicle’s sudden swerve remains unclear.

“On arrival, it was discovered that it was a minibus taxi which had collided with a light delivery truck. Unfortunately, eight people were declared dead on the scene, and six were taken to Thebe Hospital in Harrismith with moderate injuries,” Towa said.

He added that the victims were believed to be a group of women travelling to Durban for a holiday. Police have since begun contacting the victims’ families as identification continues.

“What we know is that the taxi was travelling from Virginia in the Free State and it was en route to Durban… It seems like it was holiday-makers – it was a group of ladies going on holiday in Durban,” he added.

Free State police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle confirmed that a case of culpable homicide has been opened, and investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.

Emergency services spent several hours at the scene, working to extricate trapped passengers and stabilise the injured before transporting them to hospital.

The N3 remains partially closed as recovery and clean-up operations continue, with traffic being redirected through alternative routes.

The Road Traffic Inspectorate’s spokesperson, Sindi Msimang, urged motorists to exercise caution when travelling through the mountainous Van Reenen’s Pass area, which has been the scene of several fatal crashes in recent months.

Authorities have called on drivers to remain vigilant as investigations continue into the cause of the tragedy.

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