Vehicle, two bodies recovered from Crocodile River
· The South African
Two people have died after a vehicle left the road and plunged into the Crocodile River near Mbombela on Sunday morning.
According to Mpumalanga police, authorities received a report of a white vehicle that had gone off the road near the intersection between the University of Mpumalanga and KaMagugu before ending up in the river.
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Located the submerged vehicle
Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), together with Search and Rescue teams, were dispatched to the scene, where they located the submerged vehicle with two occupants trapped inside.
Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Jabu Ndumane said the victims were a 20-year-old man and a woman believed to be between 20 and 22 years old.
The vehicle, which carried Mpumalanga registration plates, had reportedly become fully submerged in the crocodile-infested river, complicating recovery efforts.
Emergency teams later succeeded in retrieving the vehicle from the water and recovering the bodies of the two occupants.
No foul play
Police have indicated that no foul play is suspected at this stage.
However, an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the crash.
Authorities are examining several possible factors, including speed, visibility and road conditions, while also investigating how the driver lost control of the vehicle at the intersection.
Ndumane said investigators are considering all possible scenarios as they work to establish what happened before the vehicle left the roadway and travelled approximately 500 metres before entering the river.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been released as authorities are still in the process of notifying their families.
Police investigations continue.
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