Authorities said two teenage girls died Thursday from injuries in a school bus crash in South Africa’s Gauteng province, raising the death toll to 14.
The crash involved a private minibus that was transporting 16 students to various primary and high schools in the south of Johannesburg when it collided with a truck around 7 a.m. on Monday, authorities said. Authorities said 12 children died at the scene.
Seven people were injured and hospitalized, including five students, the minibus driver and a passenger in the truck. Three of the seven injured were later discharged, according to the report.
The Gauteng health department said one of the injured students, a teenage girl who was in intensive care at Sebokeng Hospital, died Thursday morning. Police Lt. Col. Mavela Masondo said another female student died at a private hospital. The report said two surviving children remain hospitalized.
Prosecutors said the minibus driver, Ayanda Dludla, 22, was charged with murder. Police said Dludla had initially been expected to face several counts of culpable homicide.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said prosecutors upgraded the case Thursday to 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and driving without a professional license.
Dludla appeared Thursday before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court and declined to seek bail, the report said. The case was adjourned until March 5 for further investigation.