Five children were killed and 20 injured after a train collided with a school bus on the afternoon of July 31 near the village of Mafube, about 180 kilometers northeast of Johannesburg, the South African Department of Transport said.

According to police, the bus driver fled the scene after the accident. The train driver and railway staff on board were not injured. An investigation is underway to clarify the cause of the incident.

South African Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has called on law enforcement agencies to improve road safety around school transport, noting that this is the second major accident involving a school transport vehicle this month. Earlier in July, 12 children were killed when a minibus transporting children to school overturned and burst into flames after being hit by another vehicle.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent but also one of the poorest road safety records. Private minibuses are the main form of transport for millions of South African workers. Many parents rely on private minibuses to take their children to school.

LAM DIEN