[1] The truck was carrying 44 seasonal farm workers[1] engaged mainly in picking citrus crops in the region.
[3] Immediately after the collision, the truck was dragged by the train for about 200 metres (660 ft); bodies of accident victims were left scattered on the ground, with limbs missing.
[3] On the same day, the Minister for Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, and Transnet officials visited the collision scene, on the line between Malelane and Hectorspruit.
[2] When Mandlazi first appeared in court, the charges against him were reduced from murder to culpable homicide, and he was remanded in police custody, to allow him time to get a legal representative.
The judge said Mandlazi was very reckless by ignoring two warning signs before the railway crossing and also failed to heed the train's horn.