‘Total chaos and carnage’: 3 dead, around 20 injured in KZN horror crash [VIDEO]

Emergency services have their hands full ahead of the new year after three people died while multiple others sustained injuries after a minibus taxi collided with a truck in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

It is understood the accident happened on the N2 highway near the Spaghetti junction in Durban early on Monday morning.

The N2 in KZN is currently gridlocked in both directions as paramedics attend to the scene.

Watch the report of the accident

Emergency services have their hands full ahead of the new year, after two people have died while multiple others sustained injuries after a minibus taxi collided with a truck in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). #KZN #Accident #FestiveSeason Pics: ALS Paramedics @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/hTKxBbKo6V

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) December 30, 2024

‘Chaos and carnage’

ALS paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said they responded to the taxi crash just before 6am

“Multiple ambulances and advanced life support paramedics were dispatched to the scene, as the initial caller said, multiple cases had been injured.”

Jamieson said paramedics arrived on the scene to find “total chaos and carnage.”

“The paramedics found that a single taxi, fully laden with approximately 23 people in it, had somewhat lost control and collided with the barrier before rolling multiple times, ejecting most of its passengers.

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Injuries and deaths

Jamieson said they called for more resources to assist with the injured.

“Paramedics from multiple ambulance services treated approximately 21 patients on the scene with injuries ranging from moderate to critical before they were transported to various urban hospitals for the further kid that they required.

“Unfortunately, two males, believed to be in their 30s and 40s, had sustained major injuries, and there was nothing paramedics could do for them, and they were declared dead on the scene,” Jamieson said.

A third person later died in hospital due to his injuries.

Jamieson said authorities were on the scene to probe the events leading up to the collision.

Truck crash

Paramedics also attended the scene of another serious accident in the area involving a truck that lost control, collided with a barrier, and overturned, leaving the driver trapped.

Jamieson said the Durban Fire Department used the jaws of life and other hydraulic equipment to cut the man free.

“Paramedics attended to him and stabilised him in the vehicle, and, once freed, he’ll be transported to a nearby hospital for the further care that he requires.

“Two other people had sustained minor injuries and are currently being treated on the scene by paramedics.

“This is on the N2 southbound, joining the N3 towards Pavilion. This on-ramp has been closed, and will be closed for some time once the patients have been removed for recovery to take place,” Jamieson said.

Festive season stats

Earlier this month, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy painted a grim picture of the 2024 festive season road carnage so far, revealing that Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo accounted for 70% of fatalities in South Africa thus far.

Creecy at the time said a total of 439 fatal crashes were recorded, which was a 3.1% increase when compared to 426 fatal crashes recorded in the same period last year.

ALSO READ: Man decapitated, multiple injuries in KZN Christmas Day crashes