/ 2 September 2005

Nineteen die as overloaded taxi plunges over cliff

Nineteen people, including two toddlers, died when a minibus taxi plunged down a cliff next to the N1 highway between Makhado and Musina on Friday, Limpopo police said.

Spokesperson Captain Mashudu Malelo said the 16-passenger taxi was overloaded, carrying 26 people, all Zimbabwean nationals. The taxi was on its way to Musina.

It appeared that the driver had stopped by the roadside in the early hours of Friday morning to urinate, Malelo said. The unmanned minibus rolled down the road, over a bridge and down a cliff.

Nineteen people — seven women, 10 men and two toddlers aged between two and three — died.

Among the survivors, four were critically injured. They were taken to the Makhado hospital.

Malelo said the police were identifying the dead and would liaise with their Zimbabwean counterparts before releasing the names of the victims. – Sapa