Durban Taxi And Truck Crash Claims 11 Lives, Including A Child, On Slippery R102

Eleven people, including a school-going child, have died following a devastating collision between a minibus taxi and a truck on the R102 in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday morning.

The crash occurred near Lotus Park, south of Durban, amid heavy rain that left roads wet and treacherous. Several others were left seriously injured and rushed to hospital.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the truck jackknifed before colliding with the fully loaded taxi, which was then forced off the road and pinned against a tree.

Durban R102 Crash: Emergency Services Describe ‘Chaos and Carnage’

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said emergency teams were inundated with calls shortly after 7:30am.

“Just after 7:30 am this morning, ALS Paramedics received numerous calls of urgent medical assistance needed on the R102, now called Wanda Cele Road, in the Isipingo area, just past the M35 offramp,” Jamieson said.

“Multiple ambulance services responded to the call and arrived on scene to find chaos and carnage. They found that a taxi, fully loaded, and a truck had collided before the truck and taxi left the roadway, pinning the taxi against the tree,” he added.

Eleven Dead, Multiple Casualties Trapped in Wreckage

Jamieson confirmed that multiple passengers were trapped inside the wreckage, prompting immediate intervention by the eThekwini Fire Department.

“Multiple casualties were entrapped, and immediately, the eThekwini fire department started working to cut them free.

“At this stage, I can confirm that 11 people have been confirmed deceased on this scene, and approximately eight others have been rushed through to various hospitals with serious to critical injuries, as a result of this accident.”

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He further confirmed the death of a child, adding: “I can confirm that, unfortunately, one child has passed away.

“At this stage, the taxi driver is still severely entrapped, and the eThekwini Fire Department is working hard to extricate the patient, and once freed, obviously he’ll be placed in an awaiting ambulance, and transported for the urgent care that he also requires.”

Road Closures and Investigation Underway in Isipingo

The R102 has been closed by RTI Metro Police to allow for emergency operations and a full investigation.

“The roadway has been closed off by RTI Metro Police and will be for some time to allow for investigations to continue. I’d advise motorists to avoid this area at all costs, as traffic is heavily backlogged, and it’s a devastating scene to see,” Jamieson said.

He added that the cause of the crash is still unclear, with police and RTI officers on site to determine the events leading up to the collision.

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