Two terrified pupils and their driver survived a burning inferno after the kombi they were travelling in caught alight on the East Rand in Gauteng.
It is understood that the scholar transport caught alight on Thursday morning in Vosloorus.
Vehicle fire
City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntladi said firefighters received a call about a vehicle that was well alight just after 6am in Inyenzane Street, Vosloorus Extension 7.
“On arrival, the vehicle was already engulfed in flames, and fortunately, both children and the driver managed to get out of the vehicle with no injuries. It is alleged that the fire started due to a mechanical/ electrical fault in the engine compartment.
“The two terrified children, aged ten and six, both from one family and their driver, were given counselling on scene by firefighters, and their parents were also called immediately to the incident scene,” Ntladi said.
ALSO READ: Death toll in Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash rises
Damage to the vehicle
Ntladi added that the fire was extinguished.
“The vehicle is extensively damaged by a blaze. The scene was handed over to the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officers for investigations and scene rehabilitation.”
The investigation is underway.
Scholar transport
Meanwhile, scholar transport has come under the spotlight after the 14 young children tragically died in the head-on scholar transport crash with a truck on the R553 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
On Thursday, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said authorities impounded more than 60 scholar vehicles carrying more children than they were allowed to, including illegal transport vehicles and those without public driving permits (PDPs).
Blitz
One scholar driver has also reportedly been arrested for carrying more children in his vehicle than was allowed.
Creecy is conducting a blitz inspection of scholar transport in Lenasia following the horrific head-on crash with a truck, which claimed the lives of 14 school children in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.
14 kids in a car
During the blitz, The Citizen discovered an overloaded Suzuki Ertiga with 14 scholars. The vehicle is only licensed to carry seven passengers.
A bus, which was licensed to carry 60 pupils, was also overloaded with 98 pupils and was stopped during the operation.
ALSO READ: Three killed, five injured in multiple-vehicle collision in Eastern Cape
