Earlier this morning at around 05h30 paramedics in the Harry Gwala district responded to an accident involving a minibus, which had left the road and rolled down an embankment, on the R56 near the Umkomaas valley.
Sadly two people have been killed in this tragic accident and 11 other patients have been injured. Four of the patients, were critically injured, five sustained serious and two of the patients had only minor injuries. The paramedics, working down the wet and slippery embankment in inclement weather conditions treated the patients on the scene before transporting the patients to Edendale hospital in Pietermaritzburg and Christ the King hospital in Ixopo for continued medical care.
UPDATE:
There has been an update from the scene of the accident since my release on the matter. The triage from scene has sadly increased. The triage is 2fatalities, 7 critical patients, 8 seriously injured patients and 2patients with minor injuries. Of the injured three are children
The exact cause of the accident at this stage in being investigated by the authorities. While it is not known if the inclement weather conditions may have contributed to this accident, poor weather conditions are persisting across the province of KZN and we again ask motorists to :
- Reduce their traveling speed, which may in fact mean travelling below the posted speed limit
- Increase their following distances
- Switch head lights onto dim
- Wear their seat belts, which includes all children and occupants in the vehicle
