14 killed in horror truck and taxi crash on N3 in KwaZulu-Natal

10 November 2020 - 07:28 By orrin singh
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Fourteen people, 13 women and a man, were killed in a crash between a taxi and two trucks on the N3 highway in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night. File image
Fourteen people, 13 women and a man, were killed in a crash between a taxi and two trucks on the N3 highway in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night. File image
Image: 123RF/ Pumidol Leelerdsakulvong

Fourteen people were killed in a collision between two trucks and a minibus taxi on the N3 highway near Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday night.  

KwaZulu-Natal emergency medical service spokesperson Robert Mckenzie said 13 women and one man were among the victims.

He said the accident is believed to have occurred between 9pm and 10pm last night.  

“Last night paramedics and emergency services responded to a serious crash on the N3 highway in the vicinity of Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal. The crash involved two trucks and a minibus. Tragically 14 people have sustained fatal injuries.”

Mckenzie said all the victims were from the minibus taxi and that the truck drivers had escaped unscathed.

“One person was critically injured and was transported to hospital for continued care. The exact cause of the crash is not known at this stage and is being investigated by police.”

MEC for transport, community safety and liaison, Bheki Ntuli, said preliminary reports indicate that the minibus taxi was travelling in between two trucks, when the truck that was in front of the taxi jackknifed causing the taxi to crash into it.

“The truck that was travelling behind the minibus taxi also crashed into the taxi leaving 14 people dead. The 14 people that died, including one driver, were from the minibus taxi and one survivor was taken to hospital in a critical condition. Both truck drivers survived the accident.”

Ntuli, who is expected to receive a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing investigations into the cause of accident, said his department would be meeting with stakeholders in the freight industry.

“The loss of one life is one too many but the death toll of this magnitude in one accident is very devastating. We send our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and vow to work even harder to improve visibility of law enforcement and road-user education which is highly critical to put an end to the carnage on our roads.” 

Last month 13 people, including an unborn baby, were killed in a horrific head-on collision between a taxi and a truck on the R66 between Ulundi and Melmoth, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

On September 13, members of the Mndali family lost their lives in a taxi crash in the Kilmun area of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

TimesLIVE


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