Rustenburg – At least five people were killed in a crasg involving a truck and three minibus taxis in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, on Thursday.
Netcare911 paramedics said they, together with other emergency medical services, rescue and police officials, responded to a collision on the corner of the M47 and Peter Road in Poortview at 1.30pm.
"Reports indicate that a truck, three taxis and a car were involved in a collision. Medics assessed the scene and found that one person had sustained critical injuries, four people sustained moderate injuries and four others had sustained minor injuries and five people had sadly died on the scene," said spokesperson Shawn Herbst.
Emer-G-Med paramedics said an helicopter was activated to assist on the scene.
"As many as five fatalities have been reported at this stage with another patient in a critical condition. An aeromedical helicopter will be activated shortly to assist," Emer-G-Med said in a statement posted on their Facebook page.
In a separate accident, ER24 said 16 people were injured, four of them critically, when two minibus taxis collided on Boundary Road in Houghton.
"ER24 and other services arrived on the scene at 9.40am to find the two vehicles on the side of the road. The passengers had already climbed out of the vehicles and were now seated along the pavement," said spokesperson Russel Meiring.
“Medics assessed the patients and found four adults in critical condition while 12 others had sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe.
“The patients were treated and provided with advanced life-support interventions before they were transported to nearby hospitals for further care,” he said.
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