Western Cape minibus taxi crash kills at least 21 on N1 highway

Two minibus taxis collided head-on on a South African highway, and an SUV struck them, killing at least 21 people and leaving four others seriously injured, authorities said Monday. The crash happened Sunday night on the N1 highway in the Western Cape Province, between the small towns of Prince Albert and Leeu-Gamka, around 380 kilometers (235 miles) east of Cape Town, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation.

The collision involved two Toyota minibus taxis and a Suzuki SUV, police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies said.

Eighteen people were declared dead at the scene. Three others were declared dead after being taken to a hospital, bringing the toll to 21, Spies said. Four other people were seriously injured, according to the Western Cape Mobility Department.

The death toll “may change as emergency services and authorities in the Western Cape continue their assessment of the scene,” the RTMC said.

The N1 highway was closed at the crash scene. Police opened a culpable homicide case, and the cause of the collision remained under investigation, Spies said. RTMC also sent investigators to the scene.

The Western Cape collision was one of two major crashes that killed at least 29 people across South Africa over the weekend, the government said in a statement. Eight people were killed in a separate crash near Ermelo in Mpumalanga province early Sunday.

Minibus taxis are the main mode of public transport for millions of people in South Africa and are often involved in fatal collisions. Two separate crashes involving minibus taxis in January left at least 25 people dead, including 14 children.