DURBAN: In the early hours of Monday, a bus carrying passengers from a wedding in Umzimkulu to Nongoma crashed into concrete barriers on the N2 north bound near Salt Rock in KwaZulu-Natal, leaving at least 75 injured.
The KZN Department of Transport said the bus was transporting 80 passengers when it crashed.
“Zungu Bus Services hit the concrete barriers and overturned on the N2 north bound, it was ferrying 80 people,” the department said.
IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Dylan Meyrick said they received a call about an accident at the traffic diversion on the N2 Umhlali River Bridge today after 2am.
“On arrival, IPSS Medical found that a fully laden bus carrying wedding guests from Umzimkulu to Nongoma had collided with the concrete barriers and overturned,” he said.
Meyrick said assistance was immediately requested from other services and Emergency Rescue Services (EMRS).
He said IPSS Advanced Life paramedics worked to stabilise a critically injured passenger who was partially entrapped under the bus while KwaDukuza Municipality Fire Department extricated her.
“Six patients in various conditions were transported to a local hospital for further care by IPSS, a further three patients were transported by Alert and Taurus, and the balance were transported by EMRS,” he said.
Garrith Jamieson, from ALS Paramedics, said: “A triage system was quickly set up and immediately more ambulances and Advanced Life Support Paramedics were dispatched to the scene to assist.
“All the injured patients were stabilised on the scene before being transported to various hospitals for the further treatment that they required.”
Medi Response spokesperson Paul Herbst said Medi Response Advanced life support paramedics and the search and rescue division responded to the accident shortly after 3am.
“At this stage, triage has indicated that two persons are seriously injured, seven moderately injured and a further 66 have sustained minor injuries,” he said.
Herbst added that the Jaws of Life was used to free one of the seriously injured passengers.
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