Road Accident Kills 9 In S. Africa

A collision between a minibus taxi and a car claimed nine lives and critically injured four others in Eastern Cape Province, authorities said on Saturday.
The accident took place on a highway between Graaff Reinet and Middelburg in the province, said Tshepho Machaea, spokesperson of Arrive Alive campaign spokesperson.
The cause of the accident was unknown at this stage, Machaea said.
"In the Toyota Corolla there were four occupants, they all died and in the Toyota Quantum we have got five that died," he said.
Four others in the minibus were critically injured and have been taken to hospital, said the spokesperson.
"At this stage the road is still closed," he said without mentioning when the accident occurred.
Meanwhile, a third person has died in hospital following a collision near Zoo Lake in Johannesburg, emergency service ER24 said.
The collision between two Metrobuses occurred on Friday, injuring 64 people on board.
One of the drivers and a six-month pregnant woman were killed on the spot.
Statistics show road accidents in South Africa claim more than 1,000 lives per month, causing huge social and economic losses.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has vowed to reduce the number of road casualties this year by 25 percent and achieve a 50-percent reduction in road accidents by 2020. (Cihan/Xinhua)