Eight dead bodies were recovered in a stream in Heilbron, Free State, on Monday, 3 March.
According to the cops, preliminary investigations indicate that a bakkie carrying multiple passengers was travelling from Heilbron on Saturday, 1 March afternoon and did not reach its destination on a farm in the Heilbron district.
Captain Loraine Earle said the occupants were reported missing on the night of Sunday, 2 March.
“They were travelling along a Welgeluk dirt road between two farms when the driver of the bakkie attempted to cross a low-water bridge, called Kliprivier.”
“The vehicle was swept away by strong currents, leading to the loss of multiple lives,” Earle said.
The driver a 71-year-old man with his wife, a 62-year-old, and their three grandchildren, two boys aged 10 and one girl aged 14. They were travelling with colleagues, a husband (34) and wife (33), and their two-year-old girl.
“Police went out to search for them and were discovered by a farmer this morning.
“Search and Rescue dogs with their handlers and police divers were immediately dispatched and, after an extensive search operation, the bodies were retrieved from the water,” said Earle.
Earle urged the community to exercise extreme caution during these rainy conditions and to avoid crossing flooded areas, particularly low-water bridges, rivers, and streams.
“We advise the public to avoid crossing flooded roads, bridges, or streams, even if the water appears shallow, not to attempt to walk or drive through fast-moving water, as its depth and strength can be deceiving, and to find alternative routes and wait for water levels to subside before proceeding,” she said.
Police have opened an inquest and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The names of the deceased are yet to be announced.
