Two people have sustained critical injuries and 22 others have been hospitalised after two minibus taxis collided near Hlobane at approximately 07:00 this morning (May 14). The head-on collision on the R69 Hlobane Road caused major traffic disruptions while emergency services worked to treat the injured and clear the wreckage, reports Northern Natal News.

Craig Botha, media liaison officer for KwaZulu Private Ambulance Services, described the scene as deeply distressing for emergency responders. “Paramedics were met with a scene of absolute carnage when they arrived on the scene this morning,” he said.

One of the taxis was transporting children to school, while the second vehicle was occupied only by the driver. Emergency personnel arrived to find wreckage and debris scattered across both lanes of the road. Paramedics immediately began triaging patients due to the high number of injured passengers.

Two patients sustained critical injuries, including a seven-year-old girl who required Advanced Life Support treatment at the scene. A man believed to be in his 40s was trapped inside one of the taxis and had to be freed by firefighters using hydraulic rescue equipment.

Three other patients suffered serious injuries, including suspected spinal trauma and multiple fractures. A further 19 people, most of them schoolchildren, sustained minor injuries and were stabilised before being transported to various hospitals for further treatment.

Members of the South African Police Service, Fire Department, and Traffic Department were deployed to manage crowd control, assist with rescue operations, and divert traffic away from the scene. The R69 was closed for more than an hour while emergency teams worked to assist the injured and authorities conducted preliminary investigations.

The road was reopened to motorists at around 08:30. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

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