At least 13 schoolchildren were killed on Monday when a minibus transporting pupils to school collided with a truck south of Johannesburg, South African police have confirmed.
The tragic crash occurred near the industrial city of Vanderbijlpark, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of the country’s commercial capital, in what authorities described as another deadly incident on South Africa’s notoriously dangerous roads.
According to police, the driver of the minibus appeared to have lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake other traffic.
The death toll rose to 13 after one of the injured children later succumbed to their injuries, the Gauteng provincial education department said. Several other pupils sustained serious injuries and are receiving medical treatment.
Officials did not immediately disclose the ages of the victims. However, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed that the children were drawn from both primary and secondary schools, with some as young as six years old.
Distressing images shared on social media showed the mangled remains of the minibus by the roadside as grieving parents gathered behind police cordons. Witnesses said some parents collapsed in anguish after being allowed to identify the bodies.
“It is a terrible scene,” Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said during a visit to the crash site.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a statement of condolence, expressed deep sorrow over the loss and called for stricter enforcement of road safety regulations.
He urged authorities to ensure the safety and quality of school transport services to protect learners, whom he described as “the nation’s most precious assets.”
The tragedy has renewed attention on South Africa’s reliance on private minibuses for school transport, a necessity for many families due to limited public transportation options.
Monday’s crash adds to a growing list of fatal school transport accidents in the country. In September, at least five pupils were killed and eight others injured when a school minibus rammed into a crèche in a township in KwaZulu-Natal.
In July 2024, 11 children — some aged just seven and eight — died when a minibus carrying them to school near Johannesburg overturned and burst into flames after being struck by another vehicle.
South Africa continues to battle high road fatality rates, with more than 11,400 people losing their lives on the nation’s roads in 2025 alone, according to the latest figures from the transport ministry.
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