Johannesburg – Shoes, handbags, vehicle debris and shattered glass lay scattered eerily a few metres from the charred shell of the minibus taxi. Bodies lay strewn across the road. Fresh blood spatters glistened on the tar.

This was the horrific scene near Westonaria on the West Rand on Sunday after 19 people were killed when the taxi they were travelling in collided with a heavy-duty truck and burst into flames.

The accident happened on the R28 in Jagersfontein towards Vereeniging just after 12.30pm.

Five children and 14 adults died in the crash, according to Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

“Five others were taken to hospital, two with serious injuries and three with slight injuries,” he said.

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