Blessing claims life
"We all were in a panic as everyone wanted to get out of the taxi at the same time. The water just kept coming"
A bridge that collapsed caused a major accident and claimed a life this past weekend. On Friday, March 11 at around 19:30 a catastrophe hit eMalahleni when a minibus was left in a dark hole after a bridge in Second Avenue, Blanchville collapsed.
“I was sitting in the back of the taxi and didn’t see anything, suddenly I just felt that the taxi was busy falling and everything was under water,” said Mr John Nyawuza, one of the 10 passengers.
“The accident was frightening. We all were in a panic as everyone wanted to get out of the taxi at the same time. The water just kept coming,” said Mr Sthembiso Ntimano another passenger.
According to the owner of the minibus, Mr Amos Mahlangu the taxi was heading towards Highveld Mall, when an accident blocked the road and the driver had to take an alternative route through Blanchville.
“The driver told me that he was still busy driving when he suddenly felt that the two front tyres dropped. He then tried to put the taxi in reverse but failed to reverse as the back tyres of the taxi started to lift. They then began to fall,” Mahlangu added.
It was speculated that there was also a red car that was taken along the river just minutes before the taxi’s event. But can not be confirmed because of the people and vehicle that could not be found before time of print. Moments after the accident occurred, the community, police members, tow truck services and Witbank 911 were at the scene where they put all their effort together to rescue the passengers from the wrecked minibus, which was filled with water.
The residents together with the police, Witbank 911 and CPF members labored together on Friday, March 11 to free passengers from the wrecked white Toyota minibus after it collapsed with the bridge in Second Avenue.
The gap in Second Avenue where the bridge used to be. On March 11, the bridge collapse and caused a taxi with 10 passengers to fall in.
“When your phone rings for your first call of the night, you think it will go quickly, and then you can go home. But on Friday I was once again reminded that there is a Murphy out there after I received the seventh callout for the night when I was informed about the bridge that collapsed,” said Mr Phillip du Plessis from Witbank 911.
Eight of the 10 passengers sustained minor injuries, one was seriously injured and one died. After all the people were removed from the wreck they were taken to Life Cosmos Hospital by ambulance for further medical treatment. In a moment of chaos the driver confirmed that all the passengers were out of the flooded taxi but later realized that a person was missing.
The body of Sifiso Ntuli was found on March 12, the morning after the accident occurred by his relatives about 1.2 kilometers from the accident scene.
On March 12, the members of the community and the police were informed by family members that one of the passengers was not brought to safety the night before. And that they had found his body about 1.2 kilometers down the river. It is alleged that the man was swept away with the strong stream of water as he escaped the taxi and lost grip. Police were immediately called out and the body was taken away to forensics. The body was later identified as the 27 year old Mr Simon Sifiso Ntuli.
“My heart aches for the passengers in my taxi. That they had to go through this. The municipality will need to help these people and me. I’m not very happy about the bridge because a bridge in a town like eMalahleni should not just collapse,” said Mahlangu.
Rumor has it, that the cause of this flood was because of blocked storm water pipes but can not be proved yet. Second Avenue was barricaded to indicate that the road is closed.
“After 11 years in the medical services you are still not prepared for such events. I can only thank God for the community members who showed me that night that people still care. That made my work so much easier,” concluded Du Plessis.
The wreck of the minibus was dragged out on March 12.
The taxi was finally dragged out after struggling an extended period of time to tow it out with all the mud.
The relatives of Ntuli couldn’t be reached before print.
