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Thirty people killed in South African bus accident

Reuters
Tuesday 27 May 2008 12:25 BST
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Thirty people were killed when a bus crashed over a cliff into a river in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, SAPA news agency reported today.

Emergency service spokesman Chris Botha said the bus landed upside down in the river after a 80-metre fall. Thirty people were killed with at least 30 other passengers trapped inside.

"There are also about 30 people still trapped inside the bus and paramedics are also treating patients at the scene," Botha was quoted as saying by SAPA.

Emergency officials said the accident happened near Cedarville, near the border with Lesotho, shortly after 0800 GMT. SAPA said there were 80 people in the bus.

About 10,000 die on South Africa's roads each year, making the country one of the world's most dangerous places to drive.

According to road safety group Arrive Alive, an estimated 4 in 100,000 people die in road accidents across Europe, compared to 25 per 100,000 in South Africa.

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