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The number of people who were killed in accidents in the Eastern Cape continues to rise.
On Tuesday, the provincial transport department reported five fatalities in two separate accidents.
Department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, said three people died and three were injured when a fully loaded mini-bus taxi collided with a vehicle near Kei Bridge in the afternoon.
He said the deceased were two men and a woman.
A case of culpable homicide has been opened at Komga police for further investigation.
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Earlier in the day the Department of Transport reported that two people were killed in a head-on collision between two cars in the early hours of the morning.
Binqose said the jaws of life had to be used to free the crash victims from the wreckage.
"Driving under the influence of alcohol was cited as a main contributing factor for the crash," he said.
Meanwhile, the department reported the deaths of six people in a single-vehicle accident on Christmas Day near Ngcobo while in a weekend statement, the department reported that ten people died in five separate accidents over 12 hours up until Sunday.
Eastern Cape Transport MEC, Xolile Nqatha has also assured road users that the department’s law enforcement officers and the province's emergency services teams remain on high alert while challenging road users to play their part and remain extra vigilant.
Golden Rules for Driving in the Rain - Drive Lights On, Reduce Speed, Increase Following Distance!! Don't Drive Distracted!! pic.twitter.com/SRdmRkLYvW
— Road Traffic Management Corporation (@TrafficRTMC) December 27, 2023