One of the three pupils injured in a crash between a scholar transport vehicle and freight train in the Addo area on Thursday has died from his injuries.
The 15-year-old boy, who was airlifted to Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha, died shortly afterwards.
This brings to two the number of people killed in the accident, which happened at about 3.40pm near the Nomathamsanqa location.
The taxi driver died at the scene.
It was the second serious incident involving pupils in the Sundays River Valley local municipality on Thursday.
Earlier, at least 18 pupils from Moses Mabida Senior Secondary School in Kirkwood were taken to hospital after they fainted.
The health department is awaiting the results of blood and urine tests carried out on the pupils to determine the cause, but suspicions are that the incident was heat related.
Sarah Baartman district municipality spokesperson Natasha Petersen said officials from the local environmental health unit had conducted tests at the school on Friday but found nothing amiss with the water supply.
“It could be heat related,” Peterson said.
Transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the Nomathamsanqa accident, involving the scholar transport vehicle with at least 21 occupants and the freight train carrying manganese, had occurred when the driver of the vehicle tried to cross the railway line near the location.
The pupils were from Samnkelwe Senior Secondary School in Addo.
Binqose confirmed later that the 15-year-old had died of his injuries.
Sundays River Valley municipality mayor Solethu Lucas sent condolences to the families of those involved in the accident, describing the two incidents as shocking.
Education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said they had mobilised psychosocial support for the pupils and were keeping the parents updated on the injured pupils’ progress.
“Counselling has started in earnest and we are determined that everybody benefits from this.
“As a department, we are saddened by this whole incident that led to the loss of life and we send our condolences to the bereaved families,” Mtima said.
DA MP Marshall von Buchenroder has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
Calls to both the affected schools went unanswered on Friday.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.