Preliminary investigations show that the bus driver in the fatal bus crash on the R21 near OR Tambo International Airport, swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle before he lost control and overturned.

The crash claimed the lives of 16 passengers and many others were left injured.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation’s spokesperson Simon Zwane explains, “The bus was travelling on this route going towards Kempton Park, following another vehicle. And that light motor vehicle missed it’s turn towards the OR Tambo Airport and applied brakes and the bus driver also followed and applied brakes and that resulted in this crash and now we have 16 people who have now died and we are still going to investigate everything.”

The R21 northbound near the airport has been opened and cleared for traffic.

40 people were also injured.

Spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Thabiso Makgato earlier said, “We had a very terrible accident, earlier on this morning at about seven o’clock, so the freeway was closed on R21, it was closed, so we just finished the scene and we just opened the freeway just now, and traffic is flowing,”

Video: Bus Crash – Four lanes have been closed to traffic, motorists advised to use alternate rout