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14 March 2025
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Two-year-old among 10 killed in bus and truck crash on N6 in Free State; drivers survived
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During the early hours of Wednesday, 5 March 2025, a serious accident between a bus and a heavy commercial vehicle occurred in the Southern Free State. Braam van Zyl, divisional officer, Mangaung Fire Department, said, “A bus with 33 passengers was travelling from Gauteng to the Eastern Cape, collided with a heavy-duty truck on route from Eastern Cape to Winburg. The side on side collision took place approximately 03h47 on the N6 between Reddersburg and Smithfield, about 75 km south of Bloemfontein.” Lukas J Basson, district manager at Xhariep EMS, said, “I got a call from Smithfield SAPS about a head-on collision between a bus and a truck. When I arrived on the scene, emergency care and rescue people were already on the scene. In my 40 years in service, this was one of the most horrific accidents that I have attended due to the impact and force, passengers were pressed between seats. The rescue operation was very difficult due to the impact.”
When the extent of the accident was made known, the Provincial Road Incident Management system was activated.
“The Free State Emergency Services, operating under the multidisciplinary Road Incident Management System (RIMS), responded promptly to a tragic accident on the N6 involving a truck and a City to City bus early Wednesday morning. The accident resulted in the loss of 10 lives and left 27 others injured, including the drivers,” said Basson.
Van Zyl said, “The Free State Emergency Medical Services availed ambulances and other vehicles from surrounding towns, the Xhariep district and Bloemfontein. Mangaung Metro Municipality's Fire Brigade was dispatched at 04h32. A fire engine departed from the Ehrlich Park Fire Station to assist with rescue operations. An incident command post was established on scene. The traffic department and SAPS assisted with closing the N8 and setting up a detour. Triage was implemented and patients were stabilised and transported.”
“Initially, there were 26 patients and five deceased. However, after cutting the wreck open, a further five bodies and a critically injured patient were uncovered”, added Van Zyl.
Facilities
P1: 2 Pelenomi Hospital BFN
P2: 3 Pelenomi Hospital
P3: 22 Stoffel Coetzee Hospital Smithfield
P4: 10 Forensic pathology BFN
“The 10 survivors included three adult males, six adult females and a two year old female toddler. The age range for survivors was two to 50 years. Both drivers of the two vehicles involved in the collision survived”, said Van Zyl.
Basson added, “The RIMS team, which includes government and private sector paramedics, fire services, search and rescue, police, traffic officials, road maintenance teams and forensic pathology, worked diligently to manage the scene. The N6 was closed during the emergency response to facilitate the extrication of trapped individuals from the bus using vehicle extrication tools and to prevent secondary accidents from passing motorists. All human remains were collected from the scene with care,”
Resources on scene included:
Provincial Traffic: 4 (2 -Reddersburg, 1- Edenburg, 1- Bloemfontein)
SAPS: 6 (Reddersburg 3, Edenburg 2, Smithfield 1)
EMS ambulances: 5 (Reddersburg -1, Edenburg 1, Trompsburg 2, Smithfield 2)
Private aAmbulances - 3 (ER24 - 1, Netcare - 1, Priority Care -1 )
Response vehicles - 2 (Smithfield -1, Reddersburg - 1)
Private response - 1 (
Fire Mangaung - 1
PPT: 2 (Reddersburg 1, Edenburg 1)
Rescue: 1 ( Trompsburg)
Rescue FCOEC - 1
Accident investigation unit: 1 (Bloemfontein)
LCRC: 1 (Bloemfontein)
Forensic Pathology: 2 - (Bloemfontein)
Towing Service: 2 (Bloemfontein)
Fuel Spill service: No
Prasa: 3 (Bloemfontein)
Disaster bus - 1 (Smithfield)
Road maintenance and cleanup team – 2”
Cleanup and recovery was done by 15h00. Injuries included C- spine injuries, fractures in face, arms, legs, compound injuries and lacerations injuries.
Photos: Julius Fleischman
Sources: Lukas J Basson, district manager at Xhariep EMS; Braam van Zyl, divisional officer, Mangaung Fire Department
When the extent of the accident was made known, the Provincial Road Incident Management system was activated.
“The Free State Emergency Services, operating under the multidisciplinary Road Incident Management System (RIMS), responded promptly to a tragic accident on the N6 involving a truck and a City to City bus early Wednesday morning. The accident resulted in the loss of 10 lives and left 27 others injured, including the drivers,” said Basson.
Van Zyl said, “The Free State Emergency Medical Services availed ambulances and other vehicles from surrounding towns, the Xhariep district and Bloemfontein. Mangaung Metro Municipality's Fire Brigade was dispatched at 04h32. A fire engine departed from the Ehrlich Park Fire Station to assist with rescue operations. An incident command post was established on scene. The traffic department and SAPS assisted with closing the N8 and setting up a detour. Triage was implemented and patients were stabilised and transported.”
“Initially, there were 26 patients and five deceased. However, after cutting the wreck open, a further five bodies and a critically injured patient were uncovered”, added Van Zyl.
Facilities
P1: 2 Pelenomi Hospital BFN
P2: 3 Pelenomi Hospital
P3: 22 Stoffel Coetzee Hospital Smithfield
P4: 10 Forensic pathology BFN
“The 10 survivors included three adult males, six adult females and a two year old female toddler. The age range for survivors was two to 50 years. Both drivers of the two vehicles involved in the collision survived”, said Van Zyl.
Basson added, “The RIMS team, which includes government and private sector paramedics, fire services, search and rescue, police, traffic officials, road maintenance teams and forensic pathology, worked diligently to manage the scene. The N6 was closed during the emergency response to facilitate the extrication of trapped individuals from the bus using vehicle extrication tools and to prevent secondary accidents from passing motorists. All human remains were collected from the scene with care,”
Resources on scene included:
Provincial Traffic: 4 (2 -Reddersburg, 1- Edenburg, 1- Bloemfontein)
SAPS: 6 (Reddersburg 3, Edenburg 2, Smithfield 1)
EMS ambulances: 5 (Reddersburg -1, Edenburg 1, Trompsburg 2, Smithfield 2)
Private aAmbulances - 3 (ER24 - 1, Netcare - 1, Priority Care -1 )
Response vehicles - 2 (Smithfield -1, Reddersburg - 1)
Private response - 1 (
Fire Mangaung - 1
PPT: 2 (Reddersburg 1, Edenburg 1)
Rescue: 1 ( Trompsburg)
Rescue FCOEC - 1
Accident investigation unit: 1 (Bloemfontein)
LCRC: 1 (Bloemfontein)
Forensic Pathology: 2 - (Bloemfontein)
Towing Service: 2 (Bloemfontein)
Fuel Spill service: No
Prasa: 3 (Bloemfontein)
Disaster bus - 1 (Smithfield)
Road maintenance and cleanup team – 2”
Cleanup and recovery was done by 15h00. Injuries included C- spine injuries, fractures in face, arms, legs, compound injuries and lacerations injuries.
Photos: Julius Fleischman
Sources: Lukas J Basson, district manager at Xhariep EMS; Braam van Zyl, divisional officer, Mangaung Fire Department
