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An accident on the N1 outside Leeu-Gamka in the Western Cape has left eight dead.
- Eight people were killed shortly after midnight Friday in a multi-vehicle collision on the N1 in the Western Cape.
- The accident involved a truck and two taxis.
- One taxi is alleged to have passed the other when it collided with the truck in the opposite lane.
The new year started on a gloomy note in the Western Cape, where a collision between a truck and two taxis shortly after midnight left eight dead.
The accident occurred on the N1 approximately 10 km from Leeu-Gamka at 00:05 on Friday.
Leeu-Gamka is a small town located 355 km northeast of Cape Town in the Karoo.
Western Cape traffic spokesman Jandre Bakker said that according to preliminary reports, the truck was traveling in the direction of Cape Town while the two taxis were traveling towards the Eastern Cape.
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesman Simon Zwane said the accident allegedly occurred when one of the taxis passed the other in the opposite lane when it collided with the truck.
“The truck collided sideways with the minibus taxi and, in the process, ended up colliding head-on with the second minibus,” Zwane said.
Bakker said the driver of one of the taxis, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was killed, while six passengers and the driver of the other taxi were killed in the collision.
The truck driver was seriously injured.
“The cause of the accident is being investigated. There is a stop-start, but the road may be closed for short periods when the scene clears,” Bakker said.
“We ask road users to be patient.”
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