Two more learners have succumbed to injuries in hospital in the early hours of Thursday following the tragic scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) confirmed the additional deaths this morning, bringing the total number of learners who lost their lives in the crash to 14.
The department has also confirmed and made public the identities of the 12 children who died at the accident scene from various schools in and around the Vaal.
The 22-year-old scholar transport driver involved in the accident now faces 14 counts of culpable homicide, as well as charges of reckless and negligent driving. He is expected to appear before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court today.
According to a media statement from the office of the Provincial Commissioner of the Gauteng Police, the driver was arrested after being discharged from hospital.
“After the police visited the hospitals and the mortuary to verify the number of fatalities and injuries, it can be confirmed that 12 learners died at the accident scene and five were taken to the nearest hospitals for medical treatment. One [learner] has since been discharged,” the statement read.
The driver of the truck involved in the crash was unharmed, while the passenger in the truck sustained injuries and is receiving treatment in hospital. Police investigations are ongoing, with witness statements being obtained to establish the full circumstances of the accident.
The police have urged members of the public and the community to allow the authorities to complete their investigations and refrain from speculation. – SAnews.gov.za
