Online Reporter
Sifiso Mahlangu
Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation after boxes of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and other prescription medications were discovered among the wreckage of a cross-border bus that crashed on the N1 near Makhado, killing at least 42 people.
The long-distance bus, which was traveling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare, Zimbabwe, veered off the road and overturned late Tuesday night, leaving bodies scattered across the crash site and dozens injured. Emergency teams described the scene as “horrific,” with rescue operations lasting through the night.
Emergency responders and police found a box containing ARVs and other medical supplies in the bus.
“This is highly irregular,” said a senior official involved in the recovery operation. “There was no documentation for the medical cargo, and it’s unclear whether the transport of these drugs was legal or who the intended recipient was.”
Authorities are now treating the crash site as both an accident scene and a potential site of pharmaceutical smuggling. ARVs, used to manage HIV, are tightly regulated and are often subject to trafficking due to their high value and demand in the region.
source – iol.co.za
