At least **11 people have lost their lives** in a fatal head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a truck in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province on Thursday, January 29, 2026, near Durban (specifically in the Lotus Park/Isipingo area on the R102 road). Provincial transport official **Siboniso Duma** confirmed the deaths in an initial statement, adding that a schoolboy was among the dead. The accident occurred around 7 a.m. during morning peak traffic.
**ALS Paramedics** spokesman Garith Jamieson said 11 people died at the scene, while several others were seriously injured – including the driver of the minibus, who was trapped in debris and needed to be extricated. According to emergency workers, most of the deaths occurred instantly. Eyewitness accounts suggest that the minibus tried to overtake the parked vehicles, after which it collided with a truck coming from the front.
The tragedy comes on the heels of a similar incident a week earlier (January 19, 2026), in which a minibus carrying schoolchildren collided with a truck near Vanderbijlpark (Gauteng province), killing **14 schoolchildren**. That driver was charged with multiple counts, including 14 counts of murder.
President **Cyril Ramaphosa** expressed deep sorrow over the recurring road accidents, and stressed the need for strict enforcement of traffic rules and better scrutiny of transport providers ferrying school children. He promised national and provincial support, including psychological support, for bereaved families and schools, and said: “Our children are the country’s most precious asset. We must do everything possible to protect students.”
Basic Education Minister **Siviwe Gwarube** highlighted systemic shortcomings in school transport management, blaming driver error and lax monitoring for many of the incidents. He urged the transport department to implement strict rules for safe daily travel.
Police have started a formal investigation, and the truck driver will be questioned to find out who was at fault. These incidents highlight South Africa’s persistent road safety crisis, particularly accidents involving overloaded or poorly maintained minibus taxis.
