At Least 13 Children Killed After Minibus Collides with Truck on Journey to School

At least 13 children have died after a school minibus collided with a truck near Johannesburg, according to reports.

The crash happened the morning of Monday, Jan. 19, near Vanderbijlpark, southwest of Johannesburg. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the tragedy in an X post shared by The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

Local outlet SABC News reported that 13 students were killed. The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa initially said in its X post that “11 learners died,” but that figure is believed to have risen, according to SABC News and the Associated Press.

According to preliminary reports cited by the AP, 11 children died at the scene and two later died from their injuries at the hospital. The news agency reported that five patients were taken to Sebokeng Hospital and two others were taken to Kopanong Hospital for treatment.

Authorities said the private minibus was transporting students to multiple schools in the southwest of Johannesburg when the crash occurred around 7 a.m. local time, the AP reported. Witnesses told the news agency that the minibus was overtaking other stationary vehicles when the head-on collision happened. The driver was injured and was among those taken to the hospital, according to the outlet.

In its statement on X, The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa said Ramaphosa found it “particularly distressing” that the incident occurred on the same day the South African Human Rights Commission published a report on scholar transport in the North West.

Earlier Monday, the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) shared a Scholar Transport Safety report on Facebook, urging parents, scholar transport drivers and motorists to prioritize safety as schools reopen. The post warned that too many children die each year in crashes involving scholar transport and included guidance for preventing such tragedies.

“The President’s thoughts are with the families, teachers, classmates and friends of the young victims,” The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa wrote.

“Our children are the nation’s most precious assets and we must do all we can – from observing the rules of the road to the quality of service providers appointed to transport scholars – to protect learners,” Ramaphosa said, according to the post. He added that national and provincial authorities will provide families and schools with psychosocial support.

Police are investigating the crash, and the truck driver will be questioned, the AP reported.

A spokesperson for The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa did not immediately respond when contacted for additional information.