‘We are sorry guys’ says DNC bus company after 42 passengers killed in Limpopo crash
The DNC bus company has expressed condolences to families and relatives of the 42 people who lost their lives on Sunday when a bus crashed near Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt), Limpopo.
Earlier, IOL reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his deep condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi after the horrific bus crash that claimed 42 lives.
The passengers, mostly Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals, were travelling from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape to their home countries when the bus veered off a mountainous section of the N1 and plunged down an embankment.
Dozens more were injured and rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
A manager from DNC Coaches in Gqeberha told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the passengers included children and old women.
“Yeah, it is so sad for such event and it’s a national disaster. We were not expecting it, you know. There were about children, magogos (old women), you know,” Dennis Jakopo spoke to the television news channel.
He said the ill-fated bus left the rank in Gqeberha on Saturday at around 3 pm, embarking on the 2,100-kilometer journey to Harare. In Harare, the Malawian passengers were scheduled to be transferred to another DNC bus, according to Jakopo.
“It’s so sad to receive such news. We are sorry guys to all the families who lost their relatives, yeah, we are very sorry,” he said.
Other representatives of the company were, on Monday morning, said to be travelling to the crash scene, even though the horrific crash happened on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m sure in an hour or two hours they will be there with enough information and here at the office we are also trying to get in touch with the next of kin,” Jakopo said.
He said the Harare-bound 61-seater bus was carrying two drivers and one host.
In his condolences message, President Ramaphosa said the tragedy was compounded by the fact that it occurred during Transport Month, a time when South Africa highlights the importance of road safety.
“This incident is a tragedy for South Africa and our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi alike. Our roads are economic networks that bring the people of our region together across our national borders.
“We must do everything we can as road users, as transport operators, drivers and passengers to ensure that we stay safe and that we share our roads responsibly and with care for one another,” he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News