Prosecutors to push finding on Injaka bridge failure

families of 14 people who died when the injaka bridge collapsed during construction in bushbuckridge in mpumalanga in 1998 may hear this year who was responsible for the incident .

a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office said the case had been prioritised and that a decision would be made this year on whether or not, and whom, to prosecute in the matter.

the companies that designed and built the bridge, vke consulting engineers and concor respectively, could be targeted. directors or employees of the companies could be held personally responsible for the 14 deaths and injuries suffered by 19 people .

the designer of the bridge, marelize gouws of vke, was also killed when the bridge collapsed .

a probe conducted by the labour department found that both vke and concor had been negligent. the findings of the ministry's investigation were released in may 2002 .

two employees were cited for negligence.

the case was handed over to the public prosecutor in 2002.

the spokesman in the prosecutors office said some occupational health and safety prosecutors were now working on the case full-time.