JUST IN: Eastern Cape tragedy: Two bodies recovered as search continues

Police have recovered two bodies from a submerged vehicle in the Eastern Cape. The grim discovery was made on Saturday, 7 June 2026. Police divers were activated, and recovery operations were conducted to retrieve the vehicle and search for the missing occupants.

Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the search for a third person continues. “The submerged vehicle in Addo has now been recovered from the water. Sadly, two bodies have been recovered from the vehicle, while one person remains missing.

Search and recovery operations are continuing.” Binqose said additional resources will be deployed to assist with the search once emergency personnel have completed the necessary processes at the scene. The accident occurred on Saturday morning when a light motorvehicle carrying five occupants veered off a farm road in Addo and plunged down an embankment into a body of water at approximately 2:30am. In a separate incident on the R56 between Ugie and Elliot at approximately 1:30am one person was killed and six others sustained injuries following a head-on collision involving a bakkie and a sedan.

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“The deceased, an adult male, was certified dead upon arrival at Ugie Saps. The injured were transported for medical treatment,” Binqose said. “A case of culpable homicide has been opened, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision are underway.” As recovery efforts continue in Addo and investigations into both incidents proceed, the department extended its condolences to the affected families and once again appeals to motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads, particularly during nighttime travel and in adverse weather conditions. Meanwhile, six lives were lost in a devastating head‑on collision near Mpumalanga, prompting Community Safety MEC Jackie Macie to renew his call for motorists to remain vigilant.

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