Three killed in crash near Cradock

Three people died instantly in an accident in the Eastern Cape on Monday morning.

More than a dozen other people were injured.

Eastern Cape traffic deputy director Charles Bramwell said the accident occurred on the R61 between Cradock and Tarkastad at about 6am.

“A Toyota mini bus was travelling from Cape Town to Mthatha when the driver lost control on a bend. It is suspected that a tyre burst caused the driver to lose control,” he said.

“The vehicle left the road, went through a steel barrier and down a small cliff.”

Bramwell said three passengers, two of them children, were critically injured and were airlifted to Cradock Hospital where one of the children was to be airlifted to Port Elizabeth.

Eight passengers were seriously injured and seven sustained slight injuries.

Bramwell said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated.