Three people died and twelve others were injured after a taxi rolled down an embankment. Image: Underberg Emergency Medical Services Facebook page.
Three people die after taxi rolls down embankment in KZN
A total of 12 people sustained moderate to serious injuries, and three people have died after a taxi rolled off an embankment in KZN
Three people died and twelve others were injured after a taxi rolled down an embankment. Image: Underberg Emergency Medical Services Facebook page.
On Friday, 23 December, emergency services responded to reports of a serious taxi accident along the Sani Pass Road in KwaZulu-Natal.
Taxi rolls off embankment
Underberg Emergency Medical Services (UEMS) was contacted at 12:30pm regarding a serious taxi accident on the Sani Pass Road.
According to reports from the scene, the crash occurred 2 kilometers through the South African Sani Pass Border Post.
When UEMS paramedics arrived, they discovered a fully-loaded taxi that had left the road, rolling down a 90-degree embankment and coming to rest 250 meters from the road in a shallow riverbed.
Because of the steepness of the embankment, paramedics proceeded up the road in search of a safe place to walk down into the valley.
When paramedics arrived, they started triaging the patients. Twelve patients suffered moderate to severe injuries.
Three of the patients were critically injured and needed Advanced Life Support Intervention. Unfortunately, three patients died as a result of their injuries before EMS arrived.
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Southern Drakensberg Mountain Rescue was contacted due to the incident’s location.
At the top of the embankment, a hoist system was set up, and patients were loaded onto specialized stretchers and hoisted up to waiting ambulances.
All of the patients were taken to a nearby hospital for further medical attention.
UEMS thanked Mountain Rescue, SAPS Himeville, NDZ Traffic, NDZ Fire Department, and all bystanders who assisted in getting all of the patients to safety.
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