The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has quickly stepped in to ease the pain of families and relatives of the six people who reportedly died following a tragic bus crash on the R66 in Melmoth over the weekend. Funeral arrangements are being facilitated, while the injured are being visited to provide further support and assistance as they recuperate in hospital.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that the driver lost control of the bus, which led to it capsizing, killing five people instantly. Among those who died on the scene are an 11-month old baby. The sixth victim reportedly succumbed to injuries at Ngwelezane Hospital on Sunday.
RAF KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Regional General Manager, Ntsoaki Kunene, said: “Incidents such as these are particularly tragic when they involve multiple fatalities and injuries. Our staff will engage families of the deceased to facilitate funeral arrangements while providing advice about the RAF’s service offering. After the burials, consultations will continue with the bereaved families to register claims for various qualifying benefits as stipulated in the RAF Act.”
Family members who would like more information regarding the claims process and what they are eligible to claim for, are asked to kindly contact the RAF’s regional office in KZN at The Embassy Building, 12th floor, 199 Anton Lembede Street, Durban.
There are also 16 Hospital Service Centres which are easily accessible throughout the province: Edendale Hospital (Pietermaritzburg); Addington Hospital (Durban); Prince Mshiyeni Hospital (Umlazi); RK Khan Hospital Chatsworth); Emadadeni Hospital (Emadadeni); Newcastle Walk-In Centre (Newcastle, CBD), Ladysmith Hospital (Ladysmith); Greys Hospital (Pietermaritzburg); Ngwelezane Hospital (Empangeni); Vryheid Hospital (Vryheid); Stanger Hospital (Stanger); Port Shepstone Hospital (Port Shepstone); Bethesda Hospital (Mkhuze); Christ the King Hospital (Ixopo); E.G. Usher Hospital (Kokstad); and Northdale Hospital (Northdale).
Further enquiries can be handled through the RAF Call Centre on 0860 23 55 23 between 07h45 to 18h00 from Monday to Friday. Assistance is available in any of the 11 official languages.
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South Africa Today – Accidents
