Bus accident claims 6 learners’ lives in Welkom

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A total of fifteen learners have been admitted to various hospitals in Welkom, Free State, following a fatal accident that claimed the lives of six learners yesterday.

Three are still in the intensive care unit (ICU), while one learner at Bongani Hospital has undergone surgery for head injuries.

The bus, which was ferrying 58 learners from an all-girls’ school, overturned on the R70 about 30 kilometers from Ventersburg last night.

RH Matjhabeng Private Hospital spokesperson, Lubabalo Gwabeni, says they expect a full recovery for those they admitted.

“Basically, in the hospital, we have admitted six patients, five children and one teacher. All of them, I will say, their conditions are very stable. We’ve got two of them in ICU, and others are all in medical wards, but all in stable condition, even those in ICU can speak.”

VIDEO: Free State bus accident claims six lives

Meanwhile, MEC for Education in the Free State Makalo Mohale says they will await a full report on the cause of the accident.

This follows a preliminary report that revealed that one of the bus tyres fell off, causing the bus to capsize. Mohale visited 15 of the learners hospitalized in Welkom.

Mohale elaborates, “So far, what we are focused on is to ensure that we support the families of those learners that are admitted in the hospital, so that they can fully recover and be reunited with their families. We are also assisting the school, together with the families of those seven learners, to work out the necessary arrangements so that they can be laid to rest.”