BLOEMFONTEIN – The death toll has risen to 11 in an accident on the N1 in the Free State involving a bus transporting Zimbabwean nationals from Cape Town to their home country on Thursday. Initially 10 people were confirmed dead after the accident that occurred on Thursday night at approximately 21:30.

The Free State Department of Health confirmed that the latest victim was a 47-year-old woman who was admitted to Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital following the fatal bus accident that happened about 24km from Trompsburg en route to Edenburg.

Department spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said the woman passed away on Friday and was among the four passengers admitted with severe injuries and were in critical condition. “The patient had been receiving intensive care and was on ventilatory support,” he said, adding that those still hospitalised in critical conditions continued to receiving medical care at both the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital and Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein.

Mvambi said that hospitalised patients received a compassionate visit from the Consul General of Zimbabwe in Johannesburg, South Africa Eria Phiri and was accompanied by the head of department of Health Ernest Mohlahlo, with identification of the deceased being facilitated.

“The Free State government mortuary is coordinating arrangements for the identification of the deceased by their families with repatriation processes to follow suit,” said Mvambi. He said that arrangement for the identification process is planned taking from tomorrow Monday, 3 Friday, 7 August.

The majority of the survivors were discharged on Friday following treatment for minor injuries at Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein and Alfred Nzula Hospital in Trompsburg. They were transported on another bus to Zimbabwe.