VANDERBIJLPARK- An eyewitness has painted a horrific description of the crash that cost 13 pupils their lives.
The children were on their way to school along a narrow road near Vanderbijlpark, a route notorious for reckless truck driving, when their scholar transport was involved in a crash on Monday.
READ | UPDATE: Death toll in Vaal scholar transport crash rises to 12
For Mxolisi Jokozele, Monday morning began like any other day.
He was cycling in early hours of the morning, unaware that he would come face-to-face with a scene that would bring him to tears.
Describing the emotional scene involving a scholar transport and a truck, Jokozele says as he approached the scene, the driver of the scholar transport appeared disoriented and in shock.
The children's lifeless bodies lay scattered on the road.
“All I could do was just cry”, he said.
Jakozela said it was not long before people began flocking to the scene.
“It was painful to see all those kids laying down there. There was one child I saw who survived, it was a girl, and she too was standing there and crying.”
The initial death toll stood at 11, but later rose to 13. The driver survived the crash.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the minibus driver attempted to overtake a vehicle in front of him and did not notice an oncoming truck, resulting in a head-on collision.
READ | Police probe deadly Vaal crash after 13 pupils killed
Worried parents, upon learning about the accident, came rushing to the scene. One parent said he went to see if it was not his child in the accident.
This as he too has a child who uses a scholar transport.
A probe into the crash has been launched, with investigations moving towards accountability.
Police have opened 13 cases of culpable homicide.
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said more charges are expected to be added pending investigations.
Statements are expected to be obtained from eyewitnesses, including the driver of the scholar bus, who survived the accident.