Ten Dead, Five Seriously Injured in Horror Cato Ridge Minibus Taxi Crash
A devastating road accident claimed the lives of ten people and left five others seriously injured after a fully loaded minibus taxi lost control and crashed along the MR385 road in Cato Ridge.
The horrific incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, 7 October 2026.
According to preliminary reports from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, the minibus taxi was negotiating a bend when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The taxi veered wildly off the roadway before slamming violently into a tree.
First responders described a scene of “total chaos and carnage” upon their arrival. The impact was so severe that several of the deceased victims were trapped beneath the crumpled wreckage. Emergency personnel, including the eThekwini Fire Department and Durban Metro Police Search and Rescue, were forced to use hydraulic equipment and the Jaws of Life to extract the bodies.
Remarkably, both the driver and the conductor survived the crash.
Paramedics on the scene treated five other passengers who sustained serious to critical injuries, requiring advanced life support interventions. Once stabilised, the injured patients were rushed by various emergency medical services to nearby hospitals for further specialised care.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma has extended his deepest condolences to the grieving families. Duma has moved swiftly to deploy teams from the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) and a dedicated road safety unit to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Authorities are also providing support to the traumatised families as the formal identification process begins.
