Thirteen taxi commuters died and two others were seriously injured in an accident on the R716 road, near Heilbron in the Free State on Wednesday evening, paramedics said.
“The taxi is in absolute pieces,” Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said.
The vehicle collided head on with a truck at around 10pm on that road.
“Paramedics arrived at the scene to find the remains of the taxi and its occupants spread along the roadway. Thirteen of them had died on impact.”
Paramedics were still busy at the scene and at this stage what happened isn’t immediately clear, he said on Wednesday night.
The truck and taxi drivers' were not injured in the collision.
The injured were transported to Sasolburg Provincial hospital for further medical care.
“This has been one of the most horrific accidents we have dealt with today,” Botha said. - Sapa