Ten people were killed when a minibus taxi and a bus truck collided in the early hours of this morning. Eight of the deceased were occupants in the minibus taxi while two people were occupants in the bus truck.

Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety spokesperson Moeti Mmusi said the deceased include the driver of the minibus taxi. "The victims were declared dead at the scene. About 24 people sustained serious injuries, 18 of the injured were occupants in the bus truck and six were in the minibus taxi. The injured were transported to the nearby hospitals," said Mmusi, adding that reports indicate that the minibus taxi initially moved on N12 Road from Johannesburg and went into R42. "The driver was allegedly returning to N12 from R42 when the crash happened. The taxi was moving towards Emalahleni while the bus truck was headed to Bronkhorstpruit. The taxi was also pulling a trailer. It is not known at this stage what caused the crash."

Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Jackie Macie, expressed shock at the horrific accident. "Motorists must be cautious at all times when on the road. It is sad to see so many people losing their lives on the road. We are appealing for greater caution on the part of drivers to avoid these tragedies," said Macie.