At least 16 school pupils injured in R617 crash near Mpophomeni

At least 16 pupils, some as young as three, were injured in a collision involving two vehicles on the R617 near Mpophomeni on Tuesday afternoon. The pupils, who attend various schools in Howick, were travelling in one of the vehicles on their home when another vehicle allegedly crashed into their vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle sustained critical injuries and was rushed to hospital.

Parents and community members hurried to the scene after news of the accident spread, anxiously searching for their children. WhenThe Witnessarrived, emergency services were still assessing the pupils, many of whom were visibly shaken and in tears as paramedics attended to them at the roadside. uMngeni Municipality deputy mayor Sandile Mnikathi, who was attending the municipality’s matric excellence awards ceremony in Howick at the time, said he immediately rushed to the scene upon receiving reports of the crash.

He said paramedics had indicated that none of the pupils appeared to have sustained serious injuries, but all were transported to hospital for further medical assessment. “In light of the numerous serious accidents reported across the country, we urge motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads,” Mnikathi said.