WRAP| Deadly Durban crash: Overloaded taxi, expired licence, worn truck tyres
Eleven people died in a horror crash on Thursday morning. The taxi carrying 18 passengers was involved in a head-on collission with a truck.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
The MEC for the Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal, Siboniso Duma, has vowed that those responsible for the horror crash in Durban on Thursday will face the full might of the law.
Tragically, 11 people lost their lives when a taxi collided head-on with a truck on the R102 near Lotus Park, Isipingo, at around 7:30 am.
Emergency workers described the scene as horrific.
Among the deceased was a 13-year-old, presumably on his way to school.
Seven people survived the crash, including the taxi driver.
He was severely entrapped in the wreckage, and emergency workers spent three hours using the Jaws of Life to free him.
The injured were taken to three hospitals in and around Durban.
The truck driver escaped uninjured.
The MEC for the Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal, Siboniso Duma, has vowed that those responsible for the horror crash in Durban on Thursday will face the full might of the law.
Image: Supplied \ Dept of Transport
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson described the scene as total carnage while urging motorists to avoid the area as the roadway remained closed for hours for cleanup and investigations.
At the scene, MEC Duma confirmed that not only was the taxi overloaded, but the driver's public driving permit expired in 2023, three years ago.
He said that the truck had worn-out tyres, adding that it was illegal to drive in those conditions.
"Owners of the truck must face consequences for only focusing on maximising profits and not ensuring the roadworthiness of the truck."
Last week 14 school pupils died in a horror crash in Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng. The taxi carrying school kids collided head on into a truck.
The truck driver escaped and is charged with 14 counts of murder.
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