Three killed, two badly injured in horrific KZN crash

Mapaballo Borotho

Three people were killed and two others seriously injured in a truck collision in Phongolo, KwaZulu-Natal.
MEC Siboniso Duma expressed condolences and urged motorists to exercise caution as investigations continue.
He highlighted ongoing operations targeting unsafe trucking practices and expressed hope that shifting freight from road to rail will reduce such tragedies.

Three people have died in a horrific accident involving a truck in Phongolo, KwaZulu-Natal. This was confirmed by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in the province on Saturday.

It has been reported that the truck collided with a light motor vehicle. Two other people were left seriously injured.

MEC Siboniso Duma conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.

“Our highly efficient and dedicated team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate is working with emergency rescue services, traffic officers from the local municipality, and other agencies. We are requesting motorists to exercise extra caution, as one lane is currently closed. The recovery process is still underway,” Duma said in a statement.

The accident scene has since been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) to determine the cause of the accident.

“On Wednesday we started a major operation involving monitoring truck activities in weighbridges across the province. We arrested 10 undocumented foreign nationals, including three truck drivers with no Professional Driving Permits and other relevant documents. As we stated, over the past months, we recorded an increase in the number of fatalities and severe injuries associated with horrific accidents involving trucks. We have resolved to sustain our operations at more than 17 weighbridges across all corners, including the N2 and N3.”

Duma said his department is hopeful that millions of tons of freight will shift from trucks to rail, following the announcement that six new train operating companies (TOCs) will soon start transporting coal and chrome along the North Corridor.

“Trucks have destroyed families, created orphans and widows, and left many people living with disability,” he added.