Pretoria - Six people have been confirmed dead following a horrific accident involving two sedans on the R71 Road near Letsetele-Letaba Junction outside Tzaneen.
Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety spokesperson Mike Maringa said the crash happened on Saturday evening.
“It is alleged that the driver of a speeding Ford sedan lost control of the vehicle and collided head-on with an oncoming Volkswagen sedan before bursting into flames. The driver was pulled out of the burning car by security personnel from the nearby filling station,” said Maringa.
“All the five occupants in the VW were also certified dead on the scene. The deceased are ranging between the ages of 35 and 50 years.”
The driver of the Ford sedan also succumbed to injuries.
Maringa said reckless driving has been cited as a possible cause of the accident.
In another incident, Maringa said a crash was also reported in Mopani, where a 19-year-old passenger was killed when the driver of a Toyota SUV that they were travelling in lost control of the vehicle and it overturned.
Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya has conveyed “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the deceased and also called on motorists to always drive within the speed limit.
Lerule-Ramakhanya said the fatal crashes are a cause for concern.
Earlier this month, Limpopo transport authorities announced that the N1 north was temporarily closed, next to Ingwe, following a horrific bus accident which killed six people.
“The number of fatalities from the bus accident reported earlier has gone up to six,” Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety spokesperson Mike Maringa said in a media update.
“Thirty people escaped with injuries. Five are critical, five others are seriously injured while 20 sustained minor injuries. The road is still closed. A detailed statement will be released early in the morning.”
At the time, Maringa said the usually busy road would be closed “for several hours” and motorists driving between Louis Trichardt and Musina were advised to use the alternative Witvlag Road.
In the previous week, five people had been killed in a head-on collision involving a Volkswagen sedan and a Toyota loading van on the R529 Road near Bambeni village outside Giyani in Limpopo’s Mopani District.
IOL