Thirteen school pupils have died in South Africa after the minibus they were travelling in collided with a lorry south of the city of Johannesburg.

The incident happened on Monday morning at around 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT) in Vanderbijlpark, the local education authority said.

Eleven students died at the scene, while two succumbed to their injuries later on. One other pupil remains in critical condition.

The cause of the crash has not been confirmed, but investigations are under way.

Gauteng province’s department of education said the driver of the minibus was “reportedly” being treated in hospital while the details of what happened to the lorry driver were “uncertain”.

Fatal road collisions are common in South Africa, due to factors such as rampant speeding, reckless driving and poorly maintained vehicles.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Monday’s crash “distressing”.

“Our children are the nation’s most precious assets and we must do all we can – from observing the rules of the road to the quality of service providers appointed to transport scholars – to protect learners,” the president added.