Eight killed in head-on crash on N17 near Ermelo

Eight people, including two minors, were killed in a head-on collision on the N17 between Ermelo and Davel in Mpumalanga early on Sunday.

The crash involved a Toyota sedan and a Volkswagen sedan near the toll plaza at about 01:30, according to reports by SABC News and eNCA.

Seven of the victims were travelling in the Volkswagen, while the eighth was the driver and sole occupant of the Toyota. Emergency personnel declared all eight dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Mpumalanga Community Safety authorities said the cause of the collision was not yet known and an investigation was under way.

Investigation under way

Community Safety MEC Jackie Macie said reckless or negligent driving could not be ruled out, but investigators had not established what caused the vehicles to collide.

The N17 is a major route through the province, linking Gauteng with towns in Mpumalanga and the Eswatini border. The section between Ermelo and Davel carries passenger and freight traffic.

The names of those killed had not been released by early Sunday afternoon.