Eight people were killed in a horrific multiple vehicle pile-up involving five cars on the N3 between Warden and Villiers in the Free State on Saturday night.
The accident brought traffic to a standstill, with the entire N3 closed off near Warden, said Department of Police, Roads and Transport spokesperson Hillary Mothethe.
She added while the cause of the accident was still under investigation, it was suspected that slippery roads due to rainy weather might have caused the fatal pile-up.
Mothethe said emergency personnel and traffic officers were still at the scene of the accident.
"We still need to verify the cause of the accident but at the moment I can confirm that there has been a horrific accident and that eight people died instantly on the scene. We cannot confirm the number of people injured in the accident at the moment.
"Recovery is currently underway at the scene, but poor weather is contributing to a delay in opening the road to traffic.
"A Stop/Go will be implemented as soon as possible to assist vehicles to move past the scene.
"However, road users currently delayed at the crash site may not reach their destinations in time before the Level 3 curfew commences tonight. National, provincial and municipal law enforcement services have been informed of the current situation," added Mothethe.