At least seven students from Macha Senior Secondary School were killed while an undisclosed number sustained serious injuries when a truck that they were traveling in overturned between Takatokwane and Dutlwe village in Kweneng West on Friday afternoon.
The death toll was this week expected to rise as some of the injured have been air lifted to Gaborone in critical condition for medical attention. Five of the students died on the spot and two died on arrival at the hospital.
Council officials and Macha Senior Secondary School management are expected to be called on Monday to shed light on what might have led to the gruesome accident. It is understood that both the council and the school were unable to verify the exact number of students that were expected to be transported to various villages in Kweneng West constituency as some of them were not students.
The truck was transporting students who had just completed their GCEC final examination.
Assistant minister of Education and Skills Development Moiseraele Goya told Sunday Standard that “it is true some students at Macha Secondary School were involved in a horrific road accident but unfortunately I cannot reveal how many died”. He said everything is being done to assist those who sustained injuries as medical officers have already being deployed. He said helicopters are on standby to air lift those who have been critically injured to Gaborone for medical attention.
Divisional Traffic officer South assistant police commissioner Engemadzo Sechale confirmed to the Sunday Standard that at least five students died on the spot when the truck that they were travelling in overturned, while other sustained serious injuries. He said it is possible that the death toll might rise due to the injuries that they sustained. “We do not know what might have caused the truck to overturn. Investigations have commenced to establish the cause of the accident”.
He explained that what makes their job difficult is the fact that after the accident, some good Samaritans rushed the injured to clinics as far as Letlhakeng and Molepolole before the arrival of police at the scene. “At this juncture it is unfortunate that we do not have the exact number of students that were travelling in the truck and police officers are busy trying to collect piece together information about those who were in the truck and whether they were all students or not.
Contacted for comment, the Assistant minister of Local Government, Botlhogile Tshireletso said, “it is too early to comment on the matter but the little information that I have received was that the bus that was supposed to transport the students was sent to Good Hope senior secondary school to transport students to various villages. Unfortunately, Macha students were then transported in an open truck which is uncalled for”.
