Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash: Police confirm vehicle was overloaded

Police confirmed on Monday that the scholar transport vehicle involved in the deadly Vanderbijlpark crash was overloaded, carrying 18 people despite being certified for just 14.

The revelation came as the death toll from the crash rose to 13, after a pupil’s body was located at the scene trapped underneath the minibus taxi and another child died in hospital.

At the scene, police said their focus had now sharply turned to compliance and safety, with investigators probing how and why the vehicle was allowed to transport more passengers than permitted.

The driver of the minibus taxi, who survived the crash, was in hospital on Monday and will be formally questioned once medically cleared.

The area remained cordoned off as forensic pathologists removed the bodies for post-mortem examinations, while detectives continued to document evidence amid debris, school bags, and twisted metal.

Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed the vehicle was over capacity.

"If we count the numbers for now, it tells us that the Toyota Quantum was overloaded. Because the pupils we are talking about are 17," Masondo said.

Four pupils remained in hospital with serious injuries as investigations continued.

WITNESS: ‘I SAW KIDS ALL OVER THE PLACE’

A witness to the deadly scholar transport crash has described the moments leading up to the tragedy.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Education MEC Matome Chiloane also arrived to receive briefings from police and emergency officials before addressing the media.

Behind the police tape, distraught parents watched rescue and recovery operations unfold, clinging to the slimmest hope that their child may have survived, or for one final moment to say goodbye.

Standing among the grieving families were witnesses to the crash, some still visibly shaken as they recounted the horror of what they saw.

“I saw the kids all over the place. The taxi driver was standing with his hands on his head. The truck driver was still sitting inside. In front of the taxi, there was one of the kids lying there. It was very painful.”

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