Evert du Preez and Mokoni Chaka were on the scene when the Kroonstad Train crash happened. At just 12-years-old the boys are being hailed as heroes for pulling women, children and the elderly from the crash site.
The Kroonstad Train crash happened because a truck had ignored the railway stop sign. Despite applying emergency brakes, the train could not stop in time. The crash was catastrophic and many people sadly lost their lives with much more injured.
Evert du Preez and Mokoni Chaka where nearby when they saw the smoke coming from the train. They rushed forward to help and started pulling young and old from the wreckage. They were catching the babies and children being flung from the flames and taking them to safety.
“I saw the train blowing steam before the flames appeared. I helped the young kids get to the ambulance, the elderly and grannies too. Some women threw their kids to me.” – Evert du Preez
“I saw the train hit the car people jump out of windows. When I got there I helped people.” – Mokoni Chaka
The boys were interviewed by an eNCA reporter on the scene and the video has since gone viral because both boys shared their stories in Sesotho. The video features a melting pot of languages and shows the diversity of our beautiful nation.
You can watch the interview below.
The best of South Africa comes out at the most challenging of times. These two friends, Evert du Preez (12) and Mokoni Chaka (12), describe how they helped rescue ppl at the #TrainCrash. @eNCA pic.twitter.com/eo6qf2xalh
— Michael (@TheMikeAppel) January 5, 2018
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