One passenger sustained burn wounds on her feet as she was allegedly asleep in one of the trucks. Picture: Twitter/SA911
Another four trucks have been torched on the N2 near the town of Sheepmoor in Mpumalanga.
The N2 is closed between Ermelo and Piet Retief, and is expected to remain so for most of the day.
This is the fourth attack on trucks in the past three days – bringing the number of torched trucks to 20.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the trucks were burned on Wednesday morning at around 5:30am on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo.
“Three were seriously burned whilst one only burned in the cabin. One passenger (woman) sustained burn wounds on her feet as she was allegedly asleep in one of the trucks. She was taken for medical help by the EMS vehicle.
“It is alleged that people emerged from the grass and approached the trucks with firearms and instructed the drivers to get out or else they will burn them inside. [The drivers] then left and ran away. The trucks were then set alight,” Mohlala said.
Mohlala added that the motive for the attacks is unknown at the moment.
“No one has been arrested so far and the police are continuing with investigation,” he said.
ALSO READ: Truck Attacks: ‘Truck burning on R59 not related to violent attacks’ – EMPD [VIDEO]
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) said a truck trailer that was burning on the R59 is not related to the recent spate of truck attacks.
EMPD spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa said they are aware of a fire incident along the R59 early on Wednesday morning.
“R59 traffic is moving extremely slow in the north direction after the Randvaal onramp due to a tyre burst on one of the two trailers drawn by a truck. The trailer started burning.
“The driver unhooked the trailers in order for the truck not to burn. This was not part of the recent truck looting and violet attacks,” said Thepa.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Police and the South African Police Service (Saps) management will on Wednesday brief the nation on their response to acts of violence targeting freight trucks in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
ALSO READ: KZN premier says torching of trucks could cost SA up to R60 million
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