ABOUT 30 INJURED IN BUS CRASH

A close view of the damaged Mahle Emakholo Bus Service.

OTHANDWENI – About 30 people and a four-year-old child were injured and rushed to hospital after a bus overturned yesterday.
The incident occurred at Othandweni area, just after 9am.

 Othandweni is halfway between Sithobelweni and Siphofaneni.
The bus, Mahle Emakholo, was heading to Manzini when the accident occurred.
Eyewitnesses said the driver failed to negotiate a sharp bend and the bus veered off the road before it overturned.

The bus made a very loud noise as it flipped, causing people who were around to go to the scene to investigate.
“Many people were injured. Had it not been for efforts made by other motorists, it could have taken time for the survivors to reach hospital,” said a witness.
Police arrived at the scene when all the survivors had been rushed to hospital.
Critically injured passengers were rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital in Manzini, where the child was admitted.
Other injured passengers were rushed to the nearby Sithobela Health Centre, where they were transported in vans by good Samaritans.
 A senior nurse at Sithobela Health Centre told this publication that they received 22 injured patients towards 10am yesterday.
She said all were treated for shock and minor injuries and then discharged.

“All I know is that all the passengers we received in the morning were attended to before they were discharged.
“We do not have any admissions from the accident,” said the senior nurse.
No fatalities were reported, according to the police.

Police were yet to establish the actual number of those injured in the accident and its cause.
Information gathered is that traffic officers arrived at the scene of the accident when it was already too late.
Many survivors were transported to the nearby health facility by motorists who arrived early on the scene.
It was gathered that the motorists first administered first aid to those who were badly injured, before transporting them to hospital.

Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba, Police Assistant Information and Communications Officer, confirmed the accident.
At the time of the interview, Mamba said police were in the process of organising a vehicle to tow away the bus.
“It is true we got a report on the accident, however, details are still scanty at the moment,” Mamba said.

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