Johannesburg: A head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a truck killed at least 11 people in South Africa on Thursday, local authorities said, marking the second major transport disaster in the country in less than two weeks.

The crash occurred on the R102 near Isipingo, south of Durban, in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. Siboniso Duma, the provincial MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, confirmed in a statement that the deceased included at least one schoolchild.

Witnesses at the scene alleged the catastrophe was triggered when the truck driver attempted an illegal U-turn, leading to the high-speed impact.

Emergency responders described a "gruesome" scene where the truck had pinned the fully loaded taxi against a tree. Garrith Jamieson, spokesperson for ALS Paramedics, reported that 11 individuals were declared dead at the site. Several others sustained critical injuries, including the taxi driver, who remained trapped in the mangled wreckage as fire crews worked to extricate him.

The tragedy comes just 10 days after a similar incident near Johannesburg on Jan. 19, which claimed the lives of 14 schoolchildren.

In that earlier case, the 22-year-old driver of the school transport vehicle was arrested and is now facing 14 counts of murder. Prosecutors upgraded the charges from culpable homicide after investigators alleged the driver was recklessly overtaking a line of cars before striking a truck.

Minibus taxis serve as the backbone of South Africa's transit system, carrying approximately 70% of the nation's commuters. However, the industry is frequently criticised for safety violations and aggressive driving, contributing to a high national road fatality rate.

With inputs from AP