20120722
AP
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African official says a bus crash in the country's southeast has killed 18 people. Three of them were elementary school children headed to a sports event.

Transportation department official Ncedo Kumbaca said two busses apparently collided head-on early Saturday near the Eastern Cape town of Cradock. He says at least 27 people were injured, some of them severely.

Kumbaca had no further information on the victims' identity. Also, it was not immediately clear how many passengers the two busses carried in total.

Traffic accidents with high death tolls are common in South Africa, and are often blamed on negligent drivers and badly maintained roads. Last week, at least 25 people were killed when a truck was hit by a cargo train at a level crossing.