In another incident on Thursday, 11 people, including a pupil, were killed in an accident involving a truck and a minibus taxi.
At least 16 people have lost their lives in horrific road crashes involving trucks in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) this week alone.
In the latest incident on Friday night, five people were killed in the Inkosi uMtubatuba Local Municipality.
According to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), a Corsa and a tipper truck collided in Manandi along the N2, killing four adults and one child. Two other people are reportedly seriously injured.
“We wish to express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We wish those injured a speedy recovery,” said MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma.
“In addition, a team from my office will work flat out to ensure that we are closer to the families.
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“Finally, we have agreed with RTI that an investigation into this accident must be launched in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation and Saps.”
KZN accident kills 11
In another incident on Thursday, 11 people, including a pupil, were killed in an accident involving a truck and a minibus taxi in Lotus Park, Isiphingo.
Six other people were seriously injured and have been taken to the nearest hospital.
According to Duma, witnesses alleged that the truck driver made a U-turn, resulting in a head-on collision.
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On Friday, Duma said that efforts to locate all families of the 11 victims were still underway.
“We can confirm that there is a family from Joburg that has just arrived at the King Shaka International Airport,” said Duma.
“We have assigned a dedicated team from the department to liaise with the family and others.”
Once all families have been identified, we will update members of the media about the following: –
According to Duma, a preliminary investigation of the scene revealed:
- Worn-out tyres for the truck. It is illegal to drive with worn tyres
- Owners of the truck must face consequences for only focusing on maximising profit and not ensuring the roadworthiness of the truck.
- PrDP for the taxi driver expired in 2023
- The taxi was overloaded with between 17 and 18 passengers.
“We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” said Duma.
“I have assigned a team from my office to locate the families of the victims. We will do everything in our power to ensure that they receive the necessary support.
“I have mandated the RTI team to work with the Durban Metro Police and Saps as part of an investigation. We want to establish the cause of this accident.”
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