Five people died instantly in an accident involving two Seabelo Express buses on the A1 road near Dibete, police have said.
Mahalapye district traffic officer, assistant superintendent Kgosienalerona Sechoni said the accident occurred around eight this morning.
Sechoni, who was speaking from the scene of the accident, said their investigations were at preliminary stages. He said they have not yet established the total number of passengers that were travelling on the two buses.
The buses left Gaborone at 6 am. The other was Francistown bound, and another was travelling to Zimbabwe. The Francistown bound bus rammed into the back of the other a few kilometres south of the Capricorn killing five people.
Sechoni said all the deceased and injured passengers were boarding the Francistown bound bus. No injuries were reported from the Zimbabwe-bound bus.
The deceased include a seven-year-old boy, an 81-year-old man and the bus conductor amongst others. The five were rushed to the Mahalapye District Hospital unconscious and were confirmed dead at the hospital.
Their bodies are kept at the hospital mortuary. Four have been identified save for one. Sechoni said their identities are withheld until their families are notified.
Sechoni said at least 30 passengers’ sustained critical injuries. The injured passengers were also admitted at the similar hospital.
The traffic officer said they suspected over-speeding caused the accident.
He reported that after the collision the driver of the Francistown bound bus lost control and the bus veered of the road into the nearby bushes.
“It is not yet clear what could have transpired but the accident happened in an open part of the road and we suspect over speeding was at play,” he said, noting their investigations are on-going.
