Johannesburg - The aftermath of Wednesday’s deadly bridge collapse in Sandton caused chaos on many routes around Joburg on Thursday morning as the M1 was expected to be reopened only later.
Commuters struggled to make their way through the severe traffic backlog caused by the closure of roads near the Grayston Drive off-ramp.
Many hooted and shouted in anger, while others violated road rules to get to their destinations as fast as possible.
Two people were killed and 21 injured when the pedestrian bridge collapsed sometime after 3pm on Wednesday smashing tons of steel scaffolding onto traffic on the busy highway.
On the northbound side, a blue Toyota Fortuner with a Durban registration plate was hit by the falling bridge. There were five occupants in the car.
The front passenger, believed to be an adult male, died while the female driver was seriously injured and airlifted to hospital.
On the southbound side, a Toyota Hi-Ace taxi was hit. The driver was killed and two of the passengers in the front were injured.
EMS spokesman Robert Mulaudzi on Thursday morning denied earlier reports that a third person had died.
“Radio reports were incorrect. The person is critical along with four others, but there has not been a third death.
“Everyone has now been accounted for,” he said.
His team would be visiting hospitals on Thursday to check on the progress of all of the 21 who were injured.
On Thursday morning the freeway area where the scaffolding collapsed was restricted to police officers and construction workers removing the rubble.
They were using specialised and heavy machinery to lift the large remains of scrap metal strewn across the highway.
The scene continued to draw large crowds of spectators who wanted to watch the mop-up operations.
Metres away, motorists who tried to make their way into Sandton queued as Joburg metro police department (JMPD) officers rerouted them, but alternative routes were also congested.
Frustrated, many tried to use the yellow lane reserved for emergency vehicles to cut through traffic.
Other violations were more severe such as driving in the oncoming lane and even on the pavement.
Anger escalated to the point where a JMPD officer had to intervene when a motorist got out of his car and started screaming at a taxi driver who had cut him off.
At the Gautrain stations, there was a sense of camaraderie as commuters waited for the bus which was running free on Thursdday in light of the tragedy.
Confusion reigned as some commuters thought the Gautrain was free, but discovered it was only the bus service.
A large sign stood near the ticket booth informing commuters that buses were free just for Thursday but normal Gautrain fees would apply.
Natalie Goldberg said she lived a few minutes away from the station but it took her 45 minutes to get there.
“I don’t usually take the train but I have to today. I’m a bit stressed because I drove my car here only to be told the parking is full and then had to go home again.
“Luckily my husband was home so he dropped me off,” she said.
On the train, Keo Flesym said he took the train once in a while, but today was intense. “I had no choice today. I needed to get to Braamfontein so what can I do? I’d get stuck in traffic if I took a (minibus) taxi. It’s convenient,” he said.
Joburg mayor Parks Tau was again at the scene on Thursday morning and conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Henry Laas, group chief executive of Murray & Roberts, who built the bridge, was also on site. He confirmed that cranes had been working non-stop to clear the debris.
“We still do not know the cause of this but I want to assure you, we will do everything in our power to establish what caused this incident,” he said.
Although the Department of Labour was already on the scene, Murray & Roberts would work with them, he said.
Besides their own internal investigation, the company has hired two independent consultants to investigate the cause of the accident.
“We cannot say what the cause was at this stage. We have heard talks about winds, a truck smashing into the scaffolding and now theft of scaffolding. We cannot speculate. We will have to wait for the outcome of the investigation, which could take months,” he said.
The Department of Labour and the City of Johannesburg have also launched investigations to determine the exact cause of the incident.
On Thursday Transport Minister Dipuo Peters called on authorities to conduct a “thorough investigation”.
Peters appealed for “calm and patience” while the highway remains closed to allow investigations to continue and the clean-up operations to be completed.
The bridge, named the Great Walk, was due to be completed by the end of the month. It was being constructed for the estimated 10 000 pedestrians who cross the Grayston off-ramp from Alexandra to Sandton and vice versa daily.
Peters on Thursday said there was a need to unearth the reasons behind the tragic incident in order to prevent a recurrence in the future.
She said the construction of the bridge was an important aspect of the overall development of economic infrastructure currently underway to improve access to Sandton.
“Sandton is a critical economic hub, not only for South Africa, but the continent and the world at large. It’s for this reason it’s called ‘the richest square mile in Africa’. Seamless accessibility into Sandton is critical for both motorists and pedestrians hence the need for such infrastructure,” said the minister.
Peters commended the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng provincial government for their swift response to the incident, adding that availing free public transport services to affected people was an act of proactive leadership.
“I wish to convey my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who sadly perished due to the incident. I equally wish a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries,” said Peters.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has also expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones and wished a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries.
The SA Weather Service’s Puseletso Mofokeng said there were strong winds on Thursday, but not strong enough to bring down scaffolding of that size.
The Star and ANA