One man has died and another was injured when a bakkie crashed into a river in Bethal on Saturday, paramedics have said.

Just after 05:30 on Saturday, emergency responders were called to the scene on the R38 where the bakkie had crashed down a bridge and become partially submerged in the river underneath. 

At the scene between Bethal and Standerton in Mpumalanga, paramedics from ER24 and Bethal Emergency Services found a man trapped inside the vehicle, who had suffered fatal injuries. The second occupant was found with moderate injuries near the bakkie.

The exact circumstances surrounding the cause of the incident are not yet known, said ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak.

Local authorities attended the scene and Fire and Rescue personnel removed the vehicle from the river. 

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