Durban - The N2 between Tinley Manor and Umhlali offramp has been closed to traffic after a truck overturned on the highway on Thursday afternoon. The driver was killed in the crash.
According to IPSS Medical Rescue, the truck is believed to have been transporting hazardous material, was travelling along the route when the driver
allegedly lost control of the tanker, causing it to overturn.
"The vehicle rolled off the road and overturned multiple times. Unfortunately, the driver has succumbed to his injuries. The fire department and rescue personnel cannot extricate the body of the driver due to the hazardous chemical," an IPSS spokesperson said.
He added that some of the chemical being transported in the truck is believed to be chlorine and is leaking into the local river.
"We are waiting for Spill Tech to come to the scene. The driver is severely entrapped in the truck. We are waiting for the spill to be contained. The fire department is on scene and the road is closed," he said.
At this stage, it is unclear when the roadway will be open again for traffic.
Meanwhile, in a separate crash on Tuesday, 13 pupils were injured when their school bus collided with another vehicle. According to KZN Emergency Medical Services spokesperson, Robert Mckenzie, medics rushed to the Hammarsdale are just after 7am to attend to the injured children.
"The exact circumstances resulting in the crash were not clear and members of the local police will be investigating the crash further," he said.