{"id":43093,"date":"2016-02-18T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T07:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/echonews.sites.caxton.co.za\/43093\/accidents-claim-eight-lives\/"},"modified":"2016-02-19T09:29:22","modified_gmt":"2016-02-19T07:29:22","slug":"accidents-claim-eight-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/middelburg-observer\/news-headlines\/2016\/02\/18\/accidents-claim-eight-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Accidents claim eight lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday morning, five people died and two escaped with slight injuries when four cars, a grey BMW, Toyota bakkie, a white Ford Ranger and a grey Ford Focus collided near Alzu Petroport.<\/p>\n

According to W\/o Lize de Wit of the SAPS, a BMW and Toyota bakkie were driving towards Belfast when the Ford Ranger and Ford Focus overtook them.<\/p>\n

The two Fords were blocked by a truck and drove back into the other lane and collided with the BMW and Toyota.<\/p>\n

The Toyota and the Ford Focus drivers and three passengers were declared dead on the scene.<\/p>\n

The deceased were from Tembisa, Johannesburg and Machadodorp. They still have to be identified.<\/p>\n

During the early hours of Monday morning, the police and emergency workers were called to an accident scene on Mandela drive where a Polo Vivo allegedly driving at high speed, overturned and drove into a wall.<\/p>\n

Of the five passengers two were killed instantly, one died in hospital on Monday morning and the other one is still fighting for his life in hospital.<\/p>\n

Two of the victims were identified as Freddy Siyabonga Mahlangu (19) and Bheki Mkwanazi (42) from Hlalamnandi.<\/p>\n