At least five people have been killed and several others injured in a taxi accident on Edendale Road in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday morning.

The taxi was travelling towards Pietermaritzburg from Imbali just before 06:00.

It is alleged that the driver of the taxi was under the influence of alcohol and that the taxi was overloaded.

According to paramedics who attended the scene, the driver lost control and the taxi rolled multiple times.

Spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Council in KwaZulu-Natal, Sifiso Shangase, said they were saddened to hear about the accident and pleaded with taxi drivers to be cautious on the road.

He said he didn’t have full details by mid-morning.

“It gives us a bad name that people had to die like this on a straight road like Edendale Road. If there was any negligence from the driver, we will take action. We will also enforce Operation Hlokomela to ensure that drivers are cautious on the road,” said Shangase.

He has sent words of condolences to the families that lost their family members and wished a speedy recovery to those recovering at the hospital.