Six killed in three road crashes in South Africa's Eastern Cape

Six people were killed and eight others injured in three separate road crashes in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, authorities said.

The first crash occurred on the N2 near Idutywa, where two people, including a five-year-old child, died after a vehicle reportedly lost control and rolled several times. The driver and five other passengers sustained serious injuries and were taken to a hospital in Butterworth.

In a separate incident on the N10 near Nxuba, a driver died after losing control of a vehicle that overturned. Authorities said a medical condition may have contributed to the crash.

Three more people were killed in a head-on collision between a pickup truck and a heavy truck on the N10 near Middelburg.

Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Makhaya Komisa said reckless and negligent driving is believed to have been a major contributing factor in the fatal crashes.

"The department is also urging road users with serious medical conditions that could put their lives and those of others at risk to refrain from driving," Komisa said.

Police are investigating the causes of all three crashes.