Nineteen primary school pupils were rushed to hospital on Wednesday morning after their heavily overloaded scholar transport collided with a hatchback near Katlehong.

Emergency crews responded to the scene on the M7 road near the Tsietsi section shortly before 7:00am following reports of the serious collision.

“A VW micro-bus which supposedly is a 10-seater vehicle, had 20 occupants at the time - driver inclusive,” William Ntladi from Disaster and Emergency Management Services stated in a statement.

Four of the school children sustained serious but stable injuries, while 15 others escaped the impact with minor injuries.

Two young pedestrians waiting nearby for their own school transport were also struck during the collision and required hospitalisation for minor injuries.

All four occupants of the second vehicle involved in the crash received on-scene medical treatment before paramedics transported them to nearby hospitals across Ekurhuleni.

Emergency officers closed the M7 road temporarily to manage the rescue operations and clear the wreckage safely from the busy thoroughfare.

Investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.