The three-year-old boy who was the first to be airlifted from the bus crash scene in the Eastern Cape on Monday has died in the Frere Hospital. This brings the number of casualties to 25. Fifteen women and nine men died at the scene of the crash.
The families of the people killed in the crash near Centane will identify their loved ones at the provincial Health Department’s Forensic Facility in Butterworth on Tuesday.
The National Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula will visit the scene of the crash.
MINISTER SADDENED BY THE CENTANE BUS TRAGEDY
The Minister of Transport, Mr @MbalulaFikile has learned with shock and sadness of a major crash on the gravel road in Willowvale at Qolweni location in the Eastern Cape. The bus was travelling from Chebe, en route to Butterworth. pic.twitter.com/mVLPwFsvCG
— MEDIA LIAISON | Esethu Hasane (@EsethuOnDuty) March 2, 2020
A family member of the deceased three-year-old says she has lost three family members in the crash…
“Yes, I lost my sister, I lost my cousin, I lost my neighbours, my family friends, its terrible. They were all on the bus. Some survived but many of them died and it affected the whole community; and that child that you referred to is the child of my cousin, the 3-year-old boy he was rushed to East London by helicopter and the whole family is devastated.”
In the video below, Eastern Cape bus crash death toll climbs to 25
Investigations on the scene
Meanwhile, Various police units are at the scene of the bus crash in which 25-people were killed, and 60 others injured.
The bus is suspected to have been overloaded when the driver lost control of it and it rolled down a ravine.
Death toll from horrible Bus accident in Centane has gone up to 21 confirm dead. Rescue operation is still active. #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/KChOXAHD2x
— Bheki Radebe (@mabhiza_zn) March 2, 2020
Reports indicate that the driver lost control of the bus, which subsequently rolled down a steep embankment, leaving 25 dead and approximately 62 injured. The root cause of the accident is unknown at this stage. https://t.co/BggHIqy0kL pic.twitter.com/LW9EWFGNOB
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) March 2, 2020
Scores of residents from Zingcuka village where the crash happened are watching as forensic teams retrieve items from the bottom of the ravine.
Eastern Cape police commissioner ltd general Liziwe Ntshinga says they are conducting an investigation into what might have caused the crash. She says a case of culpable homicide has been opened.
Officials from AB350, the company that owns the bus are also at the scene. They say they will conduct their own investigation about the cause of the crash.
The wreckage of the bus was removed from the scene last night (Monday).
Meanwhile, the bereaved families are at Butterworth mortuary to identify the bodies of their loved ones.
In the video below, investigations are underway after Centane bus crash
