IN PICTURES | Horror N1 Joburg crash leaves 6 dead‚ commuters stranded

A seven-month-old baby girl miraculously survived a horrific highway crash in Johannesburg which claimed the lives of five adults and a child on Thursday afternoon.

The baby who survived was thrown from the vehicle‚ as were many of the other passengers‚ according to Emer-G-Med emergency services.

Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said the accident occurred on the N1 south before the Buccleugh interchange in Midrand.

"Five adults and a two-year-old child died while eight others were injured when a taxi they were in overturned‚" he said.

"It's reported the taxi was transporting passengers from Zimbabwe to Joburg when the accident occurred. The cause of the accident will be investigated."

Emer-G-Med's Jurgen Kotze said that most of the dead were found underneath the taxi as their bodies were flung from the vehicle during the crash.

Kotze said that three other patients were in critical condition with a further two patients needing medical assistance.

Commuters are advised to avoid the N1 highway.