S.African minibus crash kills 10 children

Ten schoolchildren were killed in South Africa after a minibus taxi plunged into a river in the east of the country, police said on Sunday, after it reportedly hit a cow.

The driver lost control of the vehicle while travelling late Saturday between the towns of Ladysmith and Bergville in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains with a group of primary school pupils.

“The taxi veered and fell into the river and out of severe injuries and drowning, we have at least 11 who are confirmed to have died as a result of the accident,” police spokesman Vincent Mdunge told eNCA television.

“The breakdown suggests that we have 10 pupils and one adult, presumably believed to be the driver of the taxi.”

Public broadcaster SABC said the pupils were travelling back to Ladysmith after a sports event when the taxi hit a cow.

Despite good infrastructure, South African roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with some 13,000 people killed every year.