A school bus transporting approximately 70 children crashed along the road between Madadeni and Newcastle, near Karbochem, on Tuesday morning, 14 April 2026, leaving eight pupils injured and several others visibly shaken.
The incident occurred shortly after 07:00, as the bus was travelling from Madadeni towards Newcastle to transport the children to their respective schools.
While officials on the scene confirmed that the circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation, the driver attributed the loss of control to an apparent mechanical failure.
“Something mechanical went wrong with the bus, because as I was driving, my steering wheel suddenly started going one direction, while the wheels went in the other direction.”
As control of the vehicle was lost, the bus veered off course and collided with a roadside barrier before coming to rest on an embankment along the side of the road.
Emergency services responded promptly, with paramedics and traffic officials arriving on scene within minutes.
Paramedics confirmed that eight children sustained injuries, although none were classified as serious. Meanwhile, as medical teams attended to both the injured and those suffering from shock, traffic officials managed the flow of vehicles and coordinated efforts to facilitate the safe removal of the bus from the scene.
As investigations into the cause of the crash continue, authorities are expected to assess the condition of the vehicle and determine whether mechanical failure played a definitive role in the incident.
In the interim, the focus remains on ensuring the well-being of the children involved, particularly those who sustained injuries and those left shaken by the ordeal.
Incidents of this nature further underscore the critical importance of regular vehicle maintenance and stringent safety checks, especially in the context of learner transport, where the safety of passengers is paramount.
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3 Responses
In all honesty the bus company needs to have a talk with their drivers. The drive reckless and if one reports to the company you don’t get positive feedback on the 13 April 2026 in Gutenberg street the one was over taking the other one and almost knocked us. And that was right near the bus depot on a previous occasion in Albert Wessels one turned in front of us. They stop wherever they want for passengers not considering other road users. And the bus owner or management don’t stress about it as long as the wheels turn and the money is brought in.
I agree Anon these drivers have no consideration for those little precious lives they are carrying its all about the money
Morning, Scholar transport is not monitored, as law enforcement fear of of famil and friends owners of transport victimasing,