/ 30 November 2007

Tragedy as tourists killed in Kruger park accident

Five foreign tourists, including a child, were killed in an accident in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Thursday, the park said on Friday.

The accident occurred when the vehicle in which the tourists were travelling struck the edge of a bridge before plunging into a river.

”Five Austrians and a German national approached the Park’s Phalaborwa gate in their vehicle at about 4pm on Thursday. They were headed to the Mopani camp and somehow when they reached the Letaba River, their Mercedes Benz station wagon hit the edge of a bridge and the car fell into the river,” said spokesperson William Mabasa.

Mabasa said that five people died at the scene while the sixth person, the Austrian driver, survived.

The driver was taken to the Phalaborwa Hospital.

KNP managing executive Bandile Mkhize expressed his sincere condolences to the families of those killed.

Mkhize said: ”We stress that visitors should always take into account the distances between our entrance gates and the various camps and the fact that there are speed limits.

”The speed limits are not only in place for the safety of the wildlife, but also for people’s safety.” — Sapa