KWAZULU-NATAL. – Ten people have died and five others seriously injured when a minibus taxi rolled on Wednesday on Old Georgedale Road between Hammarsdale and Cato Ridge. The crash is being investigated, while the provincial transport department is offering support to the families of the deceased.
The Durban metropolitan police said in a statement the taxi was travelling from Hammarsdale to Cato Ridge when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, after which it rolled into the bush. Various emergency services, including police, traffic inspectors, fire services, forensic pathology and paramedics, worked at the scene.
Siboniso Duma, KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for transport and human settlements, said on Thursday that allegations about the circumstances in which the crash occurred are also being investigated. According to Duma, there are allegations that the taxi driver had consumed alcohol before the crash happened. Witnesses also claim the driver attempted to avoid pedestrians and then lost control of the taxi, after which it hit a tree. These allegations have not yet been confirmed as fact.
Duma said officials from the department and road safety will assist the families at the mortuary in Pietermaritzburg and visit them at home. The department will also consult with families about funeral arrangements and a possible memorial service, and coordinate visits with the Road Accident Fund to explain available assistance.
The five injured were taken to R.K. Khan and Hibiscus hospitals. The investigation is ongoing.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
