KEY POINTS
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Four people, including three children and a driver, died in a crash on the N2 between Beacon Bay and Gonubie after returning from a soccer match.
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Survivors were rushed to hospital, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident, which has raised fresh concerns about road safety.
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This incident follows a series of deadly crashes in the Eastern Cape, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and improved infrastructure.
A heartbreaking road crash claimed the lives of four people, including three children, on Saturday evening along the N2 highway between Beacon Bay and Gonubie in the Eastern Cape. The victims were traveling in a bakkie that reportedly lost control and veered across the busy route before crashing.
The crash, which occurred just after sunset, has left the East London community reeling. According to police and eyewitness reports, the occupants of the bakkie were returning from a local soccer match when the tragedy struck. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the crash.
East London police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala confirmed the deaths at the scene. “Three children and the driver died on the scene between Beacon Bay and Gonubie. Others had to be rushed to the hospital,” she stated.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing aftermath, with vehicles halted and bystanders attempting to manage the situation before emergency services arrived. “There were no forensic vans on the scene initially,” said one onlooker. “Traffic going into town was being directed onto the grassy center of the N2 to keep things moving.”
Sowetanlive reports that Local emergency response teams quickly transported the injured survivors to nearby medical facilities. Their condition remains unknown at this stage, but authorities have urged family members to come forward and assist in identifying those hospitalized.
A troubling crash on South Africa’s roads
This tragedy is the latest in a string of devastating crashes on South African roads. Just a week prior, fifteen people lost their lives in a separate head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a bakkie, also in the Eastern Cape. The recurring theme of fatal crashes involving public or group transport has sparked renewed calls for better road safety interventions.
Transport experts warn that vehicle overloading, driver fatigue, speeding, and poorly maintained roads continue to be contributing factors to South Africa’s alarming road death toll. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), over 12,500 people died on the country’s roads in 2024 alone.
Community leaders in the East London area have since expressed condolences and called for increased traffic monitoring along the N2 stretch, which is known for both high traffic volumes and frequent accidents.
“This is not just a statistic—these are our children, our neighbours, our friends,” said a local councillor. “We must demand accountability and better infrastructure before more lives are lost.”
As investigations continue, families of the deceased are being offered trauma counselling and support services. Authorities have asked the public to refrain from spreading speculation on social media, out of respect for those affected.
