He said the CIT vehicle then veered off the road and ploughed into vendors, seven of whom sustained injuries ranging from moderate to serious. They were stabilised before being transported to hospitals.
It is unclear whether the deceased was involved in the crime or a passer-by.
Witnesses said suspects abandoned their vehicle and used a taxi to escape the scene.
It is not known how much was taken from the CIT vehicle.
More than 12 SAPS and metro police vehicles were at the scene and the road was closed.
One of the street vendors, who asked not to be named, said they first heard people screaming and saw a CIT vehicle speeding towards them.
“Soon after that, I heard gunshots being fired and decided to run away. Others hid beneath their tables and it was total chaos. I have never been so scared in my life. Even right now, I'm still shaking. Everything happened so fast and the sad part now is that we have people who had nothing to do with this, but are now injured. We are all here to try to feed our families and to be injured in such a manner is very heartbreaking,” said the vendor.
Metro police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said a team was still at the scene and was yet to furnish him with a full report of the incident.
TimesLIVE
One killed, seven injured in Durban CIT heist
Image: Sakhiseni Nxumalo
One person was shot dead and seven street vendors were seriously injured after a cash-in-transit heist in the Durban CBD.
The incident took place at the bottom of Victoria Street on Tuesday.
Garrith Jamieson, MD at ALS Paramedics, told TimesLIVE they received numerous calls of a shooting incident and car crash just after 9.40am.
He said on arrival they found total chaos after an alleged armed robbery involving a cash-in-transit vehicle.
“Unfortunately, one male person, believed to be in his early 20s, sustained a gunshot wound to his head and there was nothing paramedics could do to save him. He was declared deceased at the scene. While trying to escape, the cash-in-transit vehicle collided with a taxi that was carrying passengers,” he said.
He said the CIT vehicle then veered off the road and ploughed into vendors, seven of whom sustained injuries ranging from moderate to serious. They were stabilised before being transported to hospitals.
It is unclear whether the deceased was involved in the crime or a passer-by.
Witnesses said suspects abandoned their vehicle and used a taxi to escape the scene.
It is not known how much was taken from the CIT vehicle.
More than 12 SAPS and metro police vehicles were at the scene and the road was closed.
One of the street vendors, who asked not to be named, said they first heard people screaming and saw a CIT vehicle speeding towards them.
“Soon after that, I heard gunshots being fired and decided to run away. Others hid beneath their tables and it was total chaos. I have never been so scared in my life. Even right now, I'm still shaking. Everything happened so fast and the sad part now is that we have people who had nothing to do with this, but are now injured. We are all here to try to feed our families and to be injured in such a manner is very heartbreaking,” said the vendor.
Metro police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu said a team was still at the scene and was yet to furnish him with a full report of the incident.
TimesLIVE
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