A helicopter search was launched following a car accident in KwaSwayimane, Pietermaritzburg where the vehicle is believed to have plunged off a cliff on yesterday evening.

KZN Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said the vehicle was driven by a woman.

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“We have been made aware that members of the helicopter rescue team have been trying to locate the wreckage.

“At this stage, we don’t have the full details in terms of the number and condition of the victims. I have assigned a team from my office to trace and liaise with the family and the neighbours,” said Duma.

He said his Road Traffic Inspectorate team was working closely with the South African Police Search and Rescue Unit, along with emergency personnel.

At this stage, it remains unclear how many people were in the vehicle, or where they were heading to.

Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said that further details would be released as new developments emerge in the ongoing search.