Cape Town - Fire and rescue teams have had a busy 24 hours after multiple accidents saw several people being trapped inside vehicles and in one incident 12 people were left wounded and another where five people died.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said 12 people were injured at 10am this morning along the N2 in the Wilderness in the Western Cape in George when a taxi and a bakkie collided.
Seven of the people were found lying outside of the taxi while the others were found inside.
The driver of the bakkie had escaped injury.
He said: “This morning, twelve people were injured when a taxi and bakkie collided on the N2 in Wilderness, Western Cape.
“ER24, Metro Rescue and George Fire Services arrived at 10am to find a bakkie in the middle of the road.
“A taxi was found at the bottom of an embankment approximately 50 metres away after crashing through the barriers. Seven people were found lying outside the taxi, while five were found inside.
“Medics assessed the patients and found that three had sustained serious injuries while nine others had sustained moderate injuries. Fortunately, no fatalities were found.
“The patients were treated, and the seriously injured were provided with pain-relief medication before they were transported to George Provincial Hospital for further care.
“The driver of the bakkie, fortunately, escaped injury.
“Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.”
Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse said their teams were called to a scene along Jakes Gerwel drive on Monday just after 11pm where two vehicles collided, leaving one of the passengers trapped with less serious injuries.
“The City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded at approximately 11pm to two motor vehicles that collided on Jakes Gerwel Drive on December 13 2021,” he said..
“Fire crews from Mitchells Plain were on scene.
“Three adult males were classified as colour code green and one adult male colour code yellow who was trapped inside his vehicle.
“The adult male was extricated from his vehicle at 11.11pm
“All four men were transported by Metro EMS to Mitchells Plain District Hospital.”
Deanna February of the Western Cape Medical Emergency Services said their teams had responded to 155 cases involving transport and traffic: “During the weekend, 10 – 13 December 2021 the Western Cape Government Health's EMS responded to 6 067 incidents in the Western Cape. There were 155 transport-related incidents and 121 incidents in Red Zone areas.”
She said one of the incidents had been an accident along the N7 which saw five people dying when two vehicles collided and three were left serious wounds and one with minor injury.
“Furthermore, the new week has been off to a busy start as EMS officials continue to respond to incidents across the province. One of the incidents occurred on the N7 midway between Moorreesburg and Piketberg at 3.48pm on Monday, 13 December.
“Two light motor vehicles and a van were involved in a motor vehicle crash. Unfortunately, five patients sustained fatal injuries, three were seriously injured and one sustained minor injury.
“The patients were transported to Swartland Hospital in Malmesbury. We would like to extend our condolences to the family of the deceased.”
In a separate incident, EMS staff were also held at gunpoint in Manenberg on Friday evening while travelling to the Caltex garage and were going to receive a police escort when they were held at gunpoint.
February said there were no injuries and that the incident took place along Duinefontein Road in Manenberg just after 10pm.
The staff was left traumatised she added and were receiving counselling.
Lentegeur District Manager Shakira Hartley appealed for the public to protect their staff: “Most attacks on EMS officials do not result in serious physical injuries. EMS officials are however left severely traumatised and fearing for their lives while fulfilling their duties. They go beyond and above the call of duty, by risking their lives daily to save the lives of the people in communities. We are therefore urging the public to protect and support EMS officials.
“Witnessing how traumatised the officials are after an attack has been tough. There are officials who have been away from work for years due to an attack and are then attacked again upon return. Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and gearing up for some tough days is challenging on its own. We now have to contend with the increase of attacks that is demanding and equally exhausting.”
Weekend Argus