Dense smoke apparently caused 12-vehicle pile-up on N3 which left 9 dead (gallery)

The N3 south was only reopened for traffic after 8pm on Monday night following a horrific accident in which nine people were killed on Monday afternoon.

The accident, in which scores of other people were also injured, occurred just before the Barry Marais Road off-ramp outside Vosloorus, said William Ntladi, spokesperson for Ekurhuleni emergency services.

Disaster and emergency management services, fire and rescue teams from Vosloorus, Boksburg Central and Wadeville fire stations responded to the scene to render the necessary interventions.

Ntladi said six trucks, two minibuses, three cars and  a pick-up truck were involved in a crash. Nine people were declared dead on the scene while 21 others with various injuries were hospitalised.

The injured were transported to Thelle Mogoerane Regional, Sunshine and Union hospitals respectively. Of the injured, three were critical, nine were in a serious but stable condition and the last nine sustained minor injuries.

The road had to be closed for the duration of the operation from about 2pm until around 8.15pm.

Different stakeholders such as the provincial traffic department, police and City of Ekurhuleni traffic officers collectively conducted on-scene investigations.

The preliminary investigation revealed the cause of the crash was due to dense smoke from a nearby grass fire blown across the road, obscuring motorists’ vision, said Ntladi.

Shawn Herbst from Netcare 911 said paramedics found patients lying all over the road.