Acting President visits Pinetown crash victims
Government officials visit crash survivors at RK Khan Hospital.
MEC of Transport for KwaZulu-Natal and acting president, while President Jacob Zuma is out of the country, Jeff Radebe; Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, together with Mayor James Nxumalo and other government officials visited the victims of Thursday night’s crash at RK Khan Hospital.
It is believed that 27 people died and 10 people sustained critical injuries, 8 sustained moderate injuries and 14 sustained minor to moderate injuries after a truck travelling down Field’s Hill at around 7pm allegedly ploughed through six taxis.
Radebe said that what happened should have not taken place. “It was horrible and we convey our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones and we pray for a speedy recovery for those who are in hospital. The incident should have been prevented if the brakes of the vehicle were fixed.”
Above: Government officials and hospital stafff at RK Khan Hospital.
Above: Acting President Jeff Radebe visiting one of the survivors from the crash.
He added that road safety should be everyone’s concerns. Radebe said, “Everyone should obey the rules of the road in order to prevent further incidents of this nature.”
Public relations officer of the RK Khan Hospital, Kamla Chetty, said that 19 patients were transported to the hospital last night. She said, “Three people died at the hospital, one of which was unidentified. Seven patients are currently in the ward.”
Chairman of the Hospital Board, Rev Cyril Pillay, said that everyone is shocked following the tragedy. “The weekend has been marred by the death of these innocent victims. We want to heed to the call of the acting premier of the province for prayers to be held for the families of the deceased and those who were seriously injured. As chairman of the board, we compliment the staff of RK Khan Hospital who were more than ready to assist the patients,” said Rev Pillay.
He added, “Our solutions are to have qualified drivers and a stricter policy in terms of issuing licenses. Motorists need to follow road safety rules and know that speed kills.”
Update courtesy of looklocal Chatsworth
