(The Post News)– A tragic bus crash, which occurred on Wednesday morning on the N6 about 15 kilometers south of Reddersburg towards Smithfield in Free State, has claimed the lives of ten people. According to reports, 20 others sustained injuries.
According to the Free State Provincial Road Incident Management System, the collision involved a bus carrying 33 passengers and a truck. Emergency teams quickly responded to the scene, with local police and EMS personnel working to secure the area and assist those affected.
Sipho Towa, District Manager at the Free State EMS Control Centre, described the crash as “a significant incident” that resulted in a death toll that has risen to 10, with most of the victims being female adults and one minor. He said the injured passengers sustained moderate to serious injuries and were transported to various hospitals in Bloemfontein for treatment. Towa noted that while the situation may evolve as emergency workers continue to extricate victims, “We are about 80% through the areas that need to be cleared,” he said.
The crash took place at around 3:50 a.m., with emergency teams arriving to find a truck and the bus, which had been travelling from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape, involved in the collision. Initial reports suggest that the crash may have been a partial head-on collision, with the truck striking the side of the bus. As of now, the N6 is closed for recovery operations, and authorities have put alternative routes in place to divert traffic.
Commuters coming from Reddersburg are being directed to take the R717 towards Edenburg, then the N1 to Springfontein, and finally the R715 to Smithfield, where they can rejoin the N6. Those travelling from Smithfield are being rerouted via the R715 to Springfontein, and then the N1 towards Bloemfontein.
In a statement, Towa also confirmed that the bus was operated by PRASA, South Africa’s Passenger Rail Agency, and that the agency is now handling communications with the next of kin of the deceased. The Free State EMS and other emergency services remain on site, continuing recovery efforts and ensuring the safety of road users. Towa emphasised the importance of using the provided detours as the N6 is expected to remain closed for several more hours.
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