South African authorities revised the death toll in a school bus crash to 12 children and said Tuesday that the driver had been arrested and would face criminal charges, according to an Associated Press report.
Authorities said the privately operated minibus collided head-on with a truck early Monday morning while carrying children to various schools south of Johannesburg.
Officials had initially announced that 12 children died at the scene and that a 13th victim died later at the hospital. On Tuesday, Gauteng province premier Panyaza Lesufi and the provincial health department said that 12 children had died at the scene and that no deaths were reported in the hospital.
The provincial health department said nine girls and three boys died. It said five other children, the bus driver, and a passenger in the truck were hospitalized.
Police said the 22-year-old male driver was arrested after being discharged from the hospital. Police said he would be charged with 12 counts of culpable homicide, a charge comparable to manslaughter, and with reckless and negligent driving.
Witnesses told police that the bus had been overtaking other vehicles when it collided with the truck. Lesufi also said the driver’s permit to operate a minibus had expired.
The report said schools reopened in South Africa last week after the end-of-year holidays. It also noted that earlier this month, the Child Safe advocacy group urged parents to be careful about which bus services they send their children on and to look out for poorly maintained vehicles and unlicensed operators.
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