'Maybe it was God,' says woman who survived freak Soweto accident

Soweto resident Mbali Khumalo is grappling to understand how she survived a freak accident in Orlando this week in which three taxis collided — with one of them ending up in a river.

Khumalo, who had been travelling to work on Thursday, said the accident happened in an instant.

“We just heard a loud bang and started screaming,” she said.

Like several others, she was lucky to survive.  

“I am still shocked we all survived because it was bad. Maybe it was God, I don't know,” she added.

The Johannesburg metro police department said the cause of the accident was under investigation. The accident took place at the intersection of Armitage Road and Klipspruit Valley Road in Orlando West.

“It is alleged, according to eye witnesses, that the green minibus taxi and the one white minibus taxi were travelling in the direction from Johannesburg CBD towards Soweto, and the other white minibus taxi was travelling in the direction from Soweto towards Johannesburg CBD.

“Upon impact the green minibus taxi landed in a river on the side of the road, and the driver and one passenger from this vehicle got injured and were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The white taxi which was travelling in the same direction had no passengers,” said spokesperson Wayne Minnaar.

Khumalo was in a taxi from Soweto travelling towards the CBD. It was full with passengers, but no-one was injured.

Minnaar said the accident was recorded and the report would be handed  to the Orlando police station for investigation.

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