Johannesburg – Paramedics treated several people who sustained injuries during violent protests at Zandspruit informal settlement, north of Johannesburg.
ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring on Wednesday said paramedics responded to calls from the intersection of Beyers Naude Drive and Peter Road, where they found four men had been injured.
“On arrival, paramedics found that the men had sustained minor injuries due to being struck by thrown objects,” said Meiring.
He said the injured men were treated and thereafter transported to Flora Clinic.
In a second incident, a six-month old child and a mother were treated for smoke inhalation. Burning tyres used to barricade roads caused the air to be thick with smoke.
“Paramedics assessed and treated both patients before they were transported to Rahima Moosa Hospital for further treatment,” said Meiring.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters after they blocked roads and pelted vehicles with stones.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant Kay Makhubela said one person was arrested for trying to set alight a petrol station, which had been vandalised.
Residents took to the streets to protest against poor service delivery and electricity cuts. This came after Eskom disconnected illegal electricity connections in the area.
The busy Beyers Naude Drive was closed to traffic because protesters were throwing stones at vehicles and the police. Rocks, tree stumps and burning tyres were used to barricade roads around the informal settlement.
African News Agency
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