JOHANNESBURG – Three people travelling in one car drowned after their car crashed into a steel barrier of the Vaal Dam and fell into its chilly waters.
Two bodies have since been retrieved but the search for the third person is still ongoing, three days after the incident.
Spokesperson for the Free State Police Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said they found out about the incident on Monday after getting information that there was a car that had been involved in an accident at Prinsloo Magrieta Bridge in Oranjeville around 2pm.
He said officers went to the scene where the bodies of two corpses were retrieved out of Vaal Dam the following day.
Allegations, he said, suggested that the car crashed into steel barriers of the bridge and fell into the deep waters. The cause of the accident was not yet known, he said.
“Police divers searched for the bodies and the motor vehicle until the first lifeless body was retrieved in the afternoon (on Tuesday).
“A few hours later, the second body was also retrieved. The next of kin identified the bodies as (those of) Lucky Hlapo, 20, and Thugela Mnguni, 34.
“The search for the outstanding male who allegedly drowned, is ongoing in Oranjeville.’
Makhele said police divers also found the submerged car and had to get a car towing service to retrieve it.
A case of culpable homicide will be opened for further investigation, Makhele said.
IOL