13 children killed after scholar minibus collides head-on with truck

A head-on collision between a private scholar-transport minibus and a heavy truck near Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng province left 13 schoolchildren dead and several more injured after the vehicle crashed as it was taking pupils to schools southwest of Johannesburg. The crash occurred at about 07:00 local time and prompted an immediate emergency response from provincial services.

Eleven pupils were pronounced dead at the scene; two more died later in hospital, provincial emergency services said. Five injured children were taken to Sebokeng Hospital and two to Kopanong Hospital. The minibus driver was also injured and remains hospitalized. Authorities have not released a full list of victims’ names or exact ages, only saying the group included pupils from both primary and high schools. Two pupils were reported to be in critical condition.

Police identified the South African Police Service as leading the investigation and named spokesperson Mavela Masondo in briefings. Initial inquiries indicate the minibus attempted to overtake two vehicles before colliding head-on with the truck, a manoeuvre that a police official described as a "dangerous overtaking manoeuvre" and which may have precipitated the disaster. SAPS said the incident is under investigation and indicated both the truck driver and the minibus driver will be questioned. Authorities said they will open a culpable-homicide case while investigators establish the full circumstances.

The Presidency initially posted on X that "11 learners died" in the immediate aftermath, an early figure later revised as two more children succumbed to their injuries. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the crash "distressing" and urged renewed action on what he has described as the "national shame" of South Africa's road-safety record, promising psychosocial support for families and schools affected by the tragedy. Gauteng provincial education minister Matome Chiloane confirmed the victims included both primary and high-school pupils and said the provincial government would support bereaved families and probe the conduct of the transport provider and driver.

Transport ministry data show traffic deaths remain a pressing national problem, with 11,418 fatalities recorded on South African roads in 2025. The Vanderbijlpark tragedy will intensify scrutiny of scholar transport, regulation and enforcement. The incident follows other fatal scholar transport crashes in recent years, including a July 2024 crash near Johannesburg in which 11 children were killed when a school minibus overturned and caught fire.

Communities in the region are reeling as investigators work at the scene and hospitals continue to treat the injured. Provincial and national officials said they will coordinate welfare and counselling services for families and schools while the police-led inquiry proceeds. Journalists and officials stressed that conclusions about culpability remain provisional pending forensic examination and witness statements.

Photographs of the crash scene show emergency crews and grieving relatives; photo credit: John MkHize/AFP via Getty.