Durban – The death toll in last week’s bus accident near Pongola in northern KwaZulu-Natal has increased to seven, the community safety department said on Tuesday.

Five people initially died at the crash scene 15 kilometres from Pongola last Tuesday and one more succumbed to his injuries a while later.

A tyre burst on the N2 around 11am, causing the bus to crash into a wall, MEC Willies Mchunu’s office said in a statement.

Mchunu will attend a memorial service for the crash victims on Thursday.

Sapa