At least 21 persons were killed in a collision between two minibus taxis and an SUV on a highway in South Africa’s Western Cape region, a government road safety partnership said Wednesday.
The incident occurred between Leeu-Gamka and Prince Albert, around 380 kilometres (236 miles) northeast of Cape Town, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) stated.
“The information 21 persons sustained fatal injuries,” the RTMC said in a brief statement.
The vehicles collided around 2130 GMT yesterday causing the closure of the route, local media reported.
Police have launched a culpable homicide probe into the incident and claimed “several other occupants” were taken to hospital, reports AFP.
South Africa boasts one of the most sophisticated road networks in Africa, but nevertheless battles with a high rate of road mortality, mostly attributed to speeding, reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles and the refusal to utilise seat belts.
RTMC data showed 11,485 individuals were killed in road crashes in South Africa in 2025, down more than five percent from a year earlier.
The victims were predominantly pedestrians.
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