Call for caution after Tshwane emergency services’ busy weekend
At least 42 people were injured in multiple incidents in the Tshwane metro and one person burnt beyond recognition after the bakkie they were travelling in caught alight.
Tshwane residents have been warned to exercise caution following a busy weekend for Tshwane emergency services, in which they responded to multiple call-outs.
Firefighters and paramedics attended to multiple incidents throughout Tshwane and a call has been made to residents to consider fire and life safety during the festive season.
Emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the department responded to multiple incidents of vehicle and pedestrian accidents, fires in dwelling areas and animal rescue.
On Friday, paramedics rescued a husky dog from a manhole after it got trapped in the Rietfontein area.
In Onderstepoort on the Soutpan Road, eight people – six adult males and two girl children – were injured when a double-cab bakkie overturned.
“Two male patients had to be airlifted to hospital with critical injuries while various ambulances transported the rest of the patients to Dr George Mukhari academic hospital with moderate to serious injuries,” Mabaso said.
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Also on Friday, firefighters had to extricate a critically injured patient from a truck after he got trapped when he drove into a house on Ramapuputla Street in Atteridgeville.
In another incident, almost at the same time, Mabaso said a truck and bakkie collided on the N1 north highway near the N4 off-ramp.
“The trapped driver of the bakkie sustained critical injuries and the firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extricate him,” he said.
In an early morning incident on Saturday, a Tshwane metro ambulance overturned on its way to respond to an informal dwelling fire.
“It was reported that two people had died as a result of the fire and two additional patients had sustained serious injuries,” Mabaso said.
The two occupants of the ambulance were, however, able to escape with minor injuries and were treated then released on the same day.
When firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire in Nellmapius extension 24, east of Pretoria, they found the informal dwelling well alight with two victims still trapped inside as members of the community attempted to extinguish the blaze.
“A female patient with third-degree burns was found lying outside after members of the community had rescued her from the fire,” Mabaso said, adding that the fire was subsequently extinguished.
“The cause of the fire is being investigated.”
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On Saturday afternoon, 25 patients were transported to Dr George Mukhari academic and Jubilee hospitals after two taxis collided along Soutpan Road, near Soshanguve.
Of the 25 patients, 17 were transported to Jubilee in Hammanskraal, with minor to moderate injuries and one other with moderate to serious injuries.
Four other patients were taken to Dr George Mukhari hospital in Ga-Rankuwa with minor to moderate injuries.
Meanwhile, on Saturday afternoon, firefighters extinguished a bakkie which was on fire with a person of an unconfirmed gender and age still inside along the R80 Mabopane highway, near KlipKruisfontein cemetery.
“Firefighters arrived on the scene and found the bakkie that had veered off the road into an embankment still on fire with a charred body that was burnt beyond recognition still inside,” Mabaso said.
The scene was then handed over to the SAPS to investigate.
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On Saturday evening, around 22:50, two vehicles collided st the intersection of Bremer Street and the R80 Mabopane highway.
Two patients sustained injuries ranging from critical to moderate to serious.
“Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extricate one trapped patient,” Mabaso said, adding that a male and female patient were treated at the scene and transported to Eugene Marais and Steve Biko hospitals.
Mabaso said that apart from these incidents, firefighters and paramedics also responded to incidents of assault, pedestrian accidents, house fires and dumpsite fires.
He said these incidents compelled them to make another plea to residents to do all they could to make this a safe festive season for themselves and those around them.
“Obey the rules of the road, ensure that you remain in places where it is safe and ensure that dwellings are safe from fires,” Mabaso said.
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