The bus was a colourfully decorated double-decker. To date there is no known cause for the bus to have left the road. The bus swerved left for some unknown reason. It was speculated that another car may have been involved in a collision with the bus but this could not never be confirmed.

Checks done on the bus after the accident showed that there were no detectable mechanical problems with the bus or its tyres. Damage to the bus was also minimal.

Two cranes were used to lift it from it’s watery grave. Damage caused by firefighters using the jaws-of-life can be seen.

There was nothing much about this bridge to make it a hazardous crossing. The road was wide enough to handle bus traffic and the road condition appeared to be acceptable. There was no railing to prevent traffic from ending up in the dam. In fact the fencing was a flimsy affair. In the days following the accident workers were seen repairing/upgrading the fence and modern day photos show that a more substantial concrete barrier has been erected.

This photo by Leon Holton shows the bridge and dam as it looked in 2015:

The Westdene Dam by Leon Holton