Twelve people have died in two separate car accidents that took place just outside Makhanda on Thursday and Friday.
In the first accident on Thursday, four people, including a 3-year-old boy, died when a Polo Vivo and a Toyota LDV collided head on.
Department of Transport spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said that the Polo was travelling from Grahamstown and all three occupants, the little boy and two women, died at the scene.
“The Toyota LDV was travelling from the Peddie direction and had six occupants, all males allegedly from a local farm. All three from the Polo died including a passenger from the bakkie that also perished on scene,” he said.
“The injured five occupants from the Toyota LDV have been rushed to hospital.”
In a separate accident yesterday, May 20, an Opel Corsa Lite with six occupants inside, two men, two women and two children, collided with a Toyota Quantum delivery vehicle with two occupants on the N2 just outside Makhanda at approximately 17:30.
All eight people involved, which include a 3-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl from the Corsa, died in the accident. Seven passed away on the scene while one of the men in the LDV died upon arrival at Settler’s Hospital.