Probe launched into Putco bus crash

(Image: GCIS)

The bus, travelling between Sebokeng and Meyerton in the Vaal Triangle, plunged off a bridge, killing 19 passengers and leaving several others injured.

The survivors were rushed to Kopanong and Sebokeng hospitals, while two critical injured passengers were airlifted to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

"No effort should be spared in determining the cause of this horrific incident. The Road Traffic Management authorities must leave no stone unturned in their probe. We call on the bus operating company to work with authorities in order to expedite the investigation into the cause of this crash.

"Motorists must exercise great caution at all times on the roads. They should remember that adherence to the rules of the road is non-negotiable," said the minister, who was at the scene of the accident and also visited the survivors at Kopanong and Sebokeng hospitals on Monday afternoon.

The minister said his department could only meet its objective of reducing the road fatality rate when all road users obeyed the rules of the road without exception.

"There are no words to describe the shock with which we received the sad and unfortunate reports of this tragic end to lives. We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the families of passengers who lost their lives, wishing survivors a speedy recovery," he said.

The RTMC immediately dispatched a team of road crash and incident reconstruction specialists to the scene on Monday.

The Road Accident Fund will also assist the bereaved families and the injured with assessments in relation to injury claims and funeral arrangements.

The department called on every road user to join hands with government in the quest to realise the objective of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 campaign of reducing road deaths by 50%.