Cape Town - Four people were killed and 18 others injured when a bakkie rolled off the R40 near Hazyview in Mpumalanga, emergency services said on Monday.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said their paramedics, along with several other emergency services, arrived on the scene at 8:10am to find the bakkie lying upright on the side of the road. The workers that had been on the back of the vehicle were found lying scattered around the scene, he said.
Local authorities began to close off the road while emergency personnel set up a triage area and attended to the patients. “On assessment, paramedics found that three men had sustained numerous fatal injuries. Nothing could be done for them and they were declared dead.
"Three other men were found to be in a critical condition while 16 others had sustained minor to moderate injuries,” Meiring said.
He added paramedics treated the patients and provided the critically injured with advanced life support interventions.
“Once treated, one of the critically injured men was airlifted by a private medical helicopter to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, upon arrival, the patient succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead,” said Meiring.
All other patients were treated and transported to nearby hospitals for further treatment. The details surrounding this incident were being investigated by local authorities.