Johannesburg - Six people including a child died on Friday evening after the minibus in which they were travelling in crashed into a barrier on the M2 freeway eastbound before Geldenhuys Interchange in Germiston, Ekurhuleni.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) said the minibus taxi had about 19 passengers and that one of the passengers was ejected from the taxi as it crashed into a mental barrier on the side of the freeway.
"Six patients in total were declared deceased on scene by paramedics, two other passengers sustained critical injuries, nine sustained serious but stable injuries while three grieved with minor injuries as on scene," said DEMS.
"The driver and two minors were among the casualties."
All casualties were transported by private ambulances to the Charlotte Maxeke hospital and Hillbrow clinic - both in Johannesburg - and Betha Gxowa hospital in Germiston.
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Ekurhuleni traffic officials together with SAPS accident investigating officials and Gauteng provincial traffic officials are investigating the accident.
In a separate incident also involving a minibus taxi, two people died after the taxi rolled on the N2, between St Francis Bay and Port Elizabeth on Friday afternoon.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) who dispatched a medical team to the accident said that two people were declared dead on scene by paramedics, while one patient was airlifted to hospital and eight people who were injured in the accident were transported to various hospitals by ambulances.
"The deceased were taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an Inquest docket," said the NSRI in a statement.
The accident is being investigated.
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