Two people — a taxi driver and a passenger — lost their lives, while 18 other travellers were taken to Ganyesa District Hospital in North West after a bakkie collided with a stray animal.
The road accident happened on the R378 Road near Ganyesa on the direction to Morokweng on Saturday night, according to the North West department of community safety and transport management.
Traffic officers who attended the scene revealed that a Toyota Hilux bakkie collided with a stray animal, a cow, which led to the collision with another car, a Toyota Quantum minibus.
During the crash, the taxi lost control and landed on its side.
MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management in North West, Wessels Morweng has urged community members to control their livestock, adding that road accidents caused by animals was increasing.
"My plea is for our community to make sure that their livestock are kept in their safe areas especially during the night as our villages are very dark at night and the visibility is very poor,” said Morweng.
Of the 18 travellers who were rushed to hospital, the provincial traffic authorities said five were critical, while the rest have no serious injuries.
Morweng has sent a message of condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished speedy recovery to the injured.
Last month, IOL reported that North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Madoda Sambatha, was involved in a car accident.
Sambatha and his protectors were involved in the collision near Derby, from Rustenburg to Klerksdorp while on official duty.
IOL