JOHANNESBURG - Six people died and 13 others were injured in two separate road accidents overnight in southern Gauteng, paramedics said on Sunday.
Five people were killed, including two children, and nine other people were injured when a bakkie veered out of control and rolled on the R553 Golden Highway in Golden Gardens near Sebokeng in Vereeniging on Saturday night, ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said.
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene at about 7.30pm and found a crumpled bakkie upright in the middle of the road. Several people who had been seated in the rear of the vehicle were found "scattered around the scene after they were ejected," he said.
On further inspection, it was discovered that two children and three adults had already succumbed to their numerous injuries. Nothing could be done for them and they were declared dead.
Nine other people were attended to on the scene by medical staff. Assessments showed that the nine people had sustained minor to moderate injuries. The patients were treated and then transported to Sebokeng Provincial Hospital for further care. The details surrounding the accident were not yet known, Meiring said.
In the second accident, a man was killed and four other people were injured when two cars collided at the R42 and Andries Potgieter Road intersection in Vanderbijlpark in the early hours of Sunday morning, he said.
ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene at about 2am to find the one car on the side of the road while the other was found in the middle of the road. One man in his 20s was found lying motionless inside one car while four others were walking around on the scene.
"Medics assessed the patients and found that the man inside the vehicle had sustained numerous injuries and showed no signs of life. Nothing could be done for him and he was declared dead.
"The three other patients were assessed and found to have sustained moderate injuries. The patients were treated and thereafter transported to nearby hospitals for further care. Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations," Meiring said.
African News Agency (ANA)