EC bus crash leaves 30 hurt

3 passengers still in East London hospital

ACITY-to-City 65seater passenger bus veered off the N2 freeway between East London and King William’s Town yesterday and flipped, injuring 35 passengers.

There were no fatalities but three passengers suffered serious injuries while 32 escaped with minor injuries.

They were all transported, some with with broken bones, cuts and bruises to Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane by more than 15 ambulances.

While the 32 passengers with minor injuries have since been discharged, the three seriously injured were transferred to Life St Dominic’s Hospital in East London.

The bus had been travelling from Durban to Cape Town when the accident happened about 4am near Berlin.

The cause of the accident is still unknown but Autopax, the Transnet subsidiary company which owns City-to-City and Translux buses, promised to investigate.

The police are also investigating.

Eastern Cape department of health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed the bus had been carrying 35 passengers.

Kupelo said that by 1pm yesterday 32 passengers had been treated and discharged. Three passengers remained in hospital while another patient, a young male, requested to go to an East London private health care facility.

Photographs sent to Saturday Dispatch by eye witnesses show the bus lying on its side with broken windows including the windscreen.

Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi confirmed that police were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving.

Autopax spokesman Vusi Nhlapo said the accident was regrettable.

“The bus left the road and overturned. We are busy investigating the cause of that.

“We have covered the medical bill of the 19 passengers that were affected by the accident.”

He said three passengers were in Life St Dominic’s Hospital.

“We are covering their medical bill as a form of compensation. Those that have been discharged have been offered counseling,” he said.

“A replacement bus was brought in and is shuttling our passengers to their respective destinations.”

He said it was the first accident one of their buses had been involved in since the beginning of the festive season. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za