• A bus and a truck collided on a South African highway near the capital Pretoria.
• The death toll has now risen to 15, with 37 people injured, some critically.
• Eight women and seven men died at the spot, while 37 were taken to hospital.

A bus and a truck collided on a South African highway near the capital Pretoria on Friday, killing 15 and injuring 37, according to an emergency services spokesman.

“The death toll has now risen to 15, with 37 people injured, some critically,” said spokesman Thabo Charles Mabaso.

The accident occurred before dawn, and rescue personnel were dispatched at 5:05 a.m.

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“Emergency services arrived on scene to find a bus and truck that collided head-on, with multiple patients lying around and some still trapped inside both vehicles,” emergency services said in a statement.

Eight women and seven men died at the scene, while 37 others were taken to hospital. Seven were in critical condition, the statement said.

The road was closed throughout the morning. An investigation into the accident’s cause has been launched.

South Africa’s roads are among the best on the continent, but safety is still a concern.

During the last Christmas holidays, South Africa’s peak summer travel season, nearly 1,500 people died on the roads.

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