Instead of the usual religious and birthday celebrations, this year’s Easter weekend turned into one of heartache and sorrow for Durban resident Citra Harilall, who lost her parents, brother, sister-in-law and niece in a road crash on the N3 near Paradise Valley on Friday night.
The Munger family, of Pietermaritzburg, were travelling home from the Festival of Chariots on the Durban beachfront when their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a car that is believed to have crossed the central median.
Varsana Munger, 2, her father Aymish, grandmother Divya and grandfather Garuda all died at the scene.
Varsana’s mother, Chantal, died in hospital on Saturday morning.
Harilall said the weekend was to have been a special one for the family. Aside from religious celebrations, the family also celebrated Divya’s and Harilall’s husband’s birthdays.
“Every year we would attend the chariot festival together. It should have been a religious weekend of fun and joyous celebrations, but instead it has become one of heartache and tears,” Harilall said last night.
The funeral for all five would be held in Durban tomorrow.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident also died at the scene.
Yesterday, a woman and her 5-year-old son were killed and three others injured in an accident at Cato Ridge.
ER24 spokesman Andre Visser said the vehicle they had been travelling in had veered off the road and overturned.
Three occupants were flung from the vehicle. The woman and her child were trapped and declared dead at the scene.
Another man died yesterday after his vehicle left the road on the M80 in Pietermaritzburg.
It is believed the vehicle veered across the median and plunged down an embankment before smashing into a tree. - Daily News