The driver of a scholar transport bus involved in a tragic collision with a train on the R104 between Arnot and Wonderfontein in Mpumalanga has been arrested. The accident resulted in the deaths of six learners and left 19 others injured. Authorities have clarified that the driver did not flee the scene but remains hospitalized for treatment.
A forensic team is currently investigating the crash, with some students in critical condition in the ICU. The death toll is expected to rise as the situation develops.
Distraught parents, who are at the accident scene retrieving their children's belongings, have renewed their call for the Department of Education to build a local school in their village. They express frustration over the long distances their children must travel and the safety risks associated with crossing the rail line.
One parent criticized the lack of a nearby school, saying, “We are not safe, and despite our relocation, no school has been built to prevent our children from crossing the rail line.” Another parent suggested that the collision might have been due to reckless driving, noting that the railway should have the right of way and that trains use their horns to alert of their approach.
Government officials, including Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and the provincial MEC for Education and Community Safety, are expected to visit the school and the crash site to discuss the incident with school management and assess the situation.