 
MEDIA STATEMENT
SIX PEOPLE KILLED IN ROAD CRASHKwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Mr. S’bu Ndebele has ordered a full investigation into last night’s road crash in the Zululand Region of KZN where six people where killed and scores of others injured. Officials from the KZN Transport Department’s Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) in Pietermaritzburg and Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) Officials from the Empangeni Regional Office were immediately dispatched to the scene last night and although the exact details of the crash are still sketchy, it is alleged that the driver of a SAPS Mitsubishi Canter lost control of his vehicle and plunged 50 metres down an embankment before the vehicle overturned, killing six people. The driver and several other passengers sustained various injuries and were admitted to near-by hospitals. KZN Transport Department Officials returned to the scene this morning to gather more evidence and to ascertain the cause of the crash. Recovery operations are still in progress as poor weather conditions hampered rescue and recovery operations last night. Ndebele has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes those injured a speedy recovery. "We will continuously review the safety aspects relating to the conveyance of passengers. This tragedy happened at a time when the Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal is doing its best to try and reduce the number of deaths on the province’s roads. Road crashes can be avoided. All we want is for drivers to obey road rules, for vehicles to be roadworthy and for all road users to start taking responsibility for their lives." Ndebele also appealed to motorists to adjust their driving habits to the prevailing weather conditions and in the case of rain, mist and fog to switch on their headlamps, reduce speed and increase their following distances.
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