The death toll of the tragic N8 crash involving a bus and a truck between Botshabelo and Bloemfontein has risen to eleven. The patient passed on at Pelonomi hospital in Bloemfontein on Monday in the ICU.

MEC for Health in the Free State, Monyatso Mahlatsi, visited survivors at Pelonomi hospital.

The families of the 10 people who lost their lives at the scene have identified their loved ones at government mortuary.

Overwhelmed with intense emotions, survivors of the crash on the infamous N8 stretch speak of the horrific incident.

The moment they may never forget, as two of them have lost their legs.

Many were on their way to work and they are lucky to be alive.

Survivor Nozipho Dlati says, “I feel like God protected me and I’m blessed even though I’m in pain… This crash is always on my mind; I can’t sleep at night. I have flashbacks of people who lost their lives. It’s bad, I feel like being given sleeping pills so that I can sleep.”

While the case is still under investigation, what is revealed by survivors is shocking.

Authorities indicated that the two vehicles were travelling in the same direction.

Polelo Mahloane was sitting in front when the crash was about to happen. He tried to alert the driver and tried to run to the back.

Survivor Polelo Mahloane says, “I was sitting at the front and when I realised that the bus was going to hit the truck, I ran back. Emotionally, I am fine. It’s just the pain. I’ve accepted what happened, that’s it. So I will deal with this life of not having my leg. The most important thing is I’m alive, that’s the important thing.”

The health department has expressed relief about the turnaround time to conduct postmortems and attend to survivors.

The department, however, is saddened by the rise in the death toll.

Free State Health MEC Monyatso Mahlatsi says, “I’m really shattered about the number and the state of accidents that happened over the past weekend. Firstly, the lives that have been lost in the accident that happened on the N8, and may I also take this opportunity to wish the soul of the last, or those who were injured, who were still in our ICU here, who lost a life just a few minutes ago. May the soul of that departed rest in peace. But I’m relieved at the same time that we have been able to give the required assistance on demand to all the clients who came here. All the clients were required, a theatre time; all of them received theatre time in all the required, you know, medical interventions were done. And as we speak now, quite a number of them have been discharged.”

At the government mortuary, emotions were tense as families came to identify the bodies of their loved ones.

Meanwhile, another crash on the N8 claimed three lives on Monday morning.