This followed a collision between a bus and a truck on the N8 road between Bloemfontein and Botshabelo. The accident, which claimed 8 lives and left 32 people injured, occurred in the early hours of Thursday 10 November. Later Ntombela, accompanied by the MEC for Police, Roads and Transport in the Free State, William Bulwane, visited the patients at the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein who had survived the accident. Ntombela shared her condolences with the families who had lost loved ones, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

"We have learned with much sadness about the accident which claimed the lives of eight people on the N8 road near Botshabelo this morning. Dozens more people who were on the bus have sustained injuries in this terrible accident. We appeal to all road users to exercise patience and drive within the prescribed speed limit to avoid such incidents,” she said.

In her statement Ntombela further warned that, with the festive season fast approaching, such incidents were likely to increase, and thus appealed for safety on the roads.

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Free State Health spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, meanwhile says all surviving patients were referred for further care to three public health facilities - Dr JS Moroka Hospital at Thaba Nchu, Botshabelo District Hospital at Botshabelo, and Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital at Bloemfontein.

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One person was taken to Pelonomi Netcare Private Hospital. He adds 14 patients who were admitted at Dr JS Moroka suffered minor injuries and were later discharged, while 5 were referred to Pelonomi’s trauma unit, with one person having suffered a head injury, another had an ankle fracture, whilst a 58-year-old women suffered an open ankle fracture, a 23-year-old woman had a wrist fracture, and a 48-year-old man had a dislocation of his clavicle.

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