Bus accident: Death toll at 31 after baby girl (1) succumbs to injuries

Authorities are looking for the family of a girl, estimated to be one-year-old, that succumbed to her injuries this morning after the horrific bus crash on 16 August between Butterworth and East London.

According to Unathi Binqose, spokesperson for the Department of Transport, they are urging anyone who knows the person(s) who
was travelling with the baby girl to come forward with information.

The DMJ bus was travelling from Cape Town to
Mthatha when it overturned on the N2 and went down a steep embankment, killing many people, including the driver. The accident happened in the notorious Kei Cuttings.

Binqose said the girl
was injured in the accident and taken to the Frere Hospital in East London. She passed away this morning, bringing the death toll to 31 people.

“We urge
anyone who might have information to please come forward to identify her. We believe that her parents were among
those who perished in this accident and their bodies still need to be
identified,” said Binqose. 

He added that when the
process of identification started, they knew that it would take more than one day to complete, since the majority of the relatives come from the deep rural Transkei.

Binqose said half of the bodies have been identified, but there are still 19 that need to be identified.

“MEC for Transport, Weziwe
Tikana-Gxothiwe, was there leading the team. She insisted that we also visit the
Frere Hospital where survivors are still admitted.”

According to him, two
victims are in a critical condition, with another victim that lost her fingers on one hand.

“The investigation continues and
the crash investigators have arrived at the scene.”