Eight Britons die in South African bus crash

Eight British tourists were killed in South Africa when their minibus crashed while swerving to avoid a pedestrian who was trying to commit suicide, it emerged today.

The five men and three women were on their way to the Royal Natal National Park when the New Year’s Eve tragedy happened.

They were among a party of holidaymakers travelling along the steep and windy R74 road towards the Drakensberg Mountains yesterday.

Five other people travelling on the bus – two British tourists, a Canadian, a South African driver and a tour guide – all suffered minor injuries.

Local resident Buyisiwe Miya witnessed the crash and described how the pedestrian who was killed had spoken that day of wanting to commit suicide.

“A man was walking around telling people he wanted to kill himself but no one took him seriously,” she said through a translator.

“Suddenly I saw him in the road walking in front of cars. Most cars were stopping or going round him.

“The bus tried to avoid him but the trailer hit him.”