5 students killed in crash involving school bus, train in South Africa

By Hassan Isilow

Five students were killed on Wednesday afternoon when a school bus and a train collided in South Africa’s northeastern Mpumalanga province, an official confirmed.

Moeti Mmusi, a spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, said the incident took place in the town of Middelburg.

Mmusi said many had been injured but could not give an exact number as emergency officials were still attending to the incident.

Earlier this month, 12 school children and their driver died in an accident at Merafong Local Municipality in Gauteng province, when their minibus was hit from behind by a pickup truck, causing it to overturn and catch fire.

Traffic accidents are becoming common in South Africa where millions of people commute using minibuses and buses as the main mode of transport.