Pupils die in 'heart-breaking' South Africa bus crash

A minibus crash near Pretoria killed 19 children on Friday, emergency services have said.

Primary and secondary school pupils died when the busy they were travelling in collided with a truck just outside South Africa's capital.

The accident happened between Verena in Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng as the bus was driving on the R25.

Seven children were rescued by emergency services before flames engulfed the bus.

The African National Congress (ANC) later said that it was "gravely saddened" by the deaths of the school pupils following the "heart-breaking accident".

An ANC statement added that it was "a sad day for South Africa."

The minibus collided with a truck on the single carriageway R25, between Verena in Mpumalanga and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, having left from Mahlenga High.

Initial thoughts have put the cause down to a failed overtaking manoeuvre.

"It is believed the driver of minibus underestimated the speed of the truck and collided with him whilst turning," the Gauteng Education Department said in a statement.

The driver of the bus died, though the truck driver survived.