
An arrest has been made following a tragedy in which five school children died in Mitchells Plain on Tuesday.
Two other pupils had to receive medical treatment.
The Western Cape Education Department says the bakkie transporting learners – hit a traffic light, and the children were thrown off the back of the vehicle.
The WCED says this was not one of its contracted scholar transport vehicles – adding that it’s fully supporting the police investigation.
Education MEC David Maynier says the pupils were being transported to five primary schools and a high school all in Mitchells Plain.
And that counselling services are being made available to the affected schools.
It’s not the first incident of its kind to happen in Mitchells Plain.
In April a private scholar transport vehicle collided with a car in Lentegeur.
It was allegedly overloaded – transporting 24 school kids at the time of the crash.
One of those learners died as a result of the injuries he sustained.