The R33 and R614 roads near Wartburg in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands remain closed to traffic following Tuesday morning’s crash between a minibus taxi and a tanker. The tanker was also carrying diesel and petrol.

At this stage, the incident has claimed 12 lives. KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Bheki Ntuli says police are investigating the cause of the accident.

“According to the report that I have 12 people have been confirmed dead and indeed the road is closed for now up until it is cleared. According to the investigators it will be cleared after having been dealt with. But for now, we can’t confirm what the cause of the accident is but it looks like a number of people that passed on were in the minibus on their way to work.”

Meanwhile, ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring describes what emergency teams saw when they arrived at the scene of the crash.

“The ER24 paramedics along with other services arrived on the scene and find the taxi upright in the middle of the road. The truck was found on its side on the side of the road. Fuel had already begun to leak from the tanker spilling on to the roadside. Local authorities closed off the road while paramedics attended to the patients. Several were found lying scattered around the scene while two were found lying trapped inside the taxi.”