Durban — Paramedics were caught in the crossfire when violence erupted at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Friday afternoon.
The incident happened during an ABC Motsepe National play-off match between Umsinga United and Orbit College from the North West.
In one of the videos taken at the stadium from the stands, a volley of shots can be heard and crowds of people are seen dispersing from the stadium.
KwaZulu Private Ambulance spokesperson Chantell Botha said that on Friday, the KwaZulu Private Events Management team experienced a horrifying and near-fatal shootout at Harry Gwala Stadium.
“Following the end of a soccer match, spectators’ disapproval of the final score resulted in bottles being thrown on to the soccer field. Shortly afterwards, a single gunshot was heard, followed by a barrage of gunfire,” Botha said.
“The medics quickly took cover behind their ambulance. As one of the medics was taking cover, a bullet hit the ambulance, narrowly missing the medic’s head.
“Thankfully, no one was injured during this rampage,” Botha added.
In another video shared on social media, a person can be heard saying they were being shot at therefore they were running away.
In another video, spectators can be seen throwing items on to the field.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident last December, ALS Paramedics Medical Services personnel survived unscathed after they were shot at while attending to an accident scene in Durban.
At the time of the incident, ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said that while responding to an accident scene on Berea Road near Canongate Road, their paramedics were shot at.
Jamieson said the paramedics were alerted to an accident scene while they were driving down Berea Road.
While responding to the scene,the paramedics saw men with firearms drawn at the crashed vehicle. “The suspects then began shooting at our ambulance. Our crews managed to evade and call for help.
“The staff were very lucky to escape without injury as the vehicle had a hole showing a bullet had entered the front cabin above the driver's head and exited through the rear door,” Jamieson said.
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