[Diepkloof 12 June 2012 15:00]
12 school children and an adult have been injured after the taxi that they were travelling in rolled off the N1 in the direction of Roodepoort near the Rand Show off ramp.
The children were found strewn across the highway and there were four patients that had sustained severe injuries including the driver of the taxi. They had fortunately managed to get out of the taxi, or were ejected before the taxi rolled down the embankment and caught alight.
Fire and rescue services were first on scene and they started extinguishing the blaze as well as started to assess the patients. The fire from the taxi had caused a large portion of the veld to catch at light too.
The patients were treated for their injuries on scene and transported to hospitals in the area.
One young lady aged 14 started to deteriorate and she was placed on external ventilation and then airlifted to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital by Medicopter.
Traffic was brought to a complete standstill following the accident and was rerouted through the N1 past Soweto.
Vanessa Jackson, ER24
