Emergency services have confirmed that three people died in the Monday morning’s taxi crash in Olifantsfontein, north of Johannesburg.
Two of the deceased were school learners who were travelling in a quantum taxi which collided with a motorbike near the intersection of Old Pretoria Road and the M57.
The third victim was the driver of the motorbike. 19 other learners have been ferried to hospital.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the scene to assess the situation.
GOT THIS BREAKING NEWS JUST NOW: I AM RUSHING TO THE SCENE. { Morning MEC sad news we just lost 2 learners from Madibatlo Promarh School through the accident. Their taxi to school was hit by the scooter so badly that two learners died. We have dispatched our psycho social team}
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) February 17, 2020
Emergency Services’ William Ntladi says they are currently clearing the road.
“Unfortunately, the cause of the accident is still undetermined and is under investigation from the metro police department of the city of Ekurhuleni. It involves a minibus quantum taxi, which was faring school children at the primary level. We’ve got 19 children that have been taken to Tembisa hospital for further medical care, and then unfortunately in that, we’ve got two children and an adult that died on the scene.”