‘Total Carnage’: Durban Commuters Injured in Bus and Taxi Crash During Morning Rush

Twelve people rushed to hospital as Durban wakes up to another tragic reminder of KZN’s road safety crisis

In the hazy early hours of Tuesday morning, as Durban’s commuters geared up for another working day, tragedy struck on Sarnia Road in Rossburgh. A collision between a fully loaded taxi and a bus left twelve people injured, some of them seriously, in a crash described by paramedics as “total carnage”.

It’s yet another grim entry in KwaZulu-Natal’s ever-growing list of road tragedies.

What Happened on Sarnia Road?

According to Garrith Jamieson, spokesperson for ALS Paramedics Medical Services, emergency responders arrived at the scene just before 6am and were met with chaos.

“The crash site was absolute mayhem,” he said. “Paramedics immediately had to set up a triage system to assess the multiple casualties and called for additional ambulances and advanced life support.”

Twelve people were treated on scene for injuries ranging from moderate to severe before being rushed to several Durban hospitals for further care. While all victims survived, the emotional and physical toll is undeniable.

The cause of the collision is not yet clear. Police are investigating, and further updates are expected in the coming days.

A Pattern of Tragedy on KZN Roads

Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident. Just weeks earlier, KwaZulu-Natal was rocked by a horrific crash near Gingindlovu where a family of five, including a three-year-old and a two-month-old baby, lost their lives in a collision on the R66.

Another seven people, including four children under 14, were injured in that crash.

IPSS Medical Services spokesperson Samantha Meyrick said, “The scene was devastating. Our teams worked quickly to stabilise the seriously injured before transporting them to nearby hospitals. Our hearts go out to the families.”

These back-to-back crashes have stirred concern from authorities and citizens alike.

Officials: ‘Our Province Is Mourning Again’

KZN Transport and Human Settlements spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya expressed deep sorrow over the rising toll of fatal road accidents.

“After what had been a relatively safe winter holiday season, we’ve now had to respond to horrific scenes. Five people, three adults and two children, lost their lives in the Gingindlovu crash,” he said.

Sibiya also praised the coordinated efforts of the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), SAPS, and emergency services in both cases but urged drivers to be more vigilant.

Durban Reacts: Frustration and Grief on Social Media

News of Tuesday’s crash spread quickly on social media, with Durban residents expressing everything from grief to frustration.

“When are we going to take public transport safety seriously? Lives are being lost every week,” posted one user on X (formerly Twitter).

Another called for harsher penalties for reckless driving and more stringent inspections of public transport vehicles, which many believe are operated under poor mechanical and time-pressure conditions.

A Bigger Problem Beneath the Surface

KZN has long struggled with road safety, particularly when it comes to public transport. Taxis remain a lifeline for the working class but are often overloaded, under-regulated, and driven under pressure to meet daily targets.

Buses, too, are frequently caught up in crashes, especially on high-traffic corridors like Sarnia Road, a major artery between Durban suburbs and the city’s industrial zones.

As the dust settles from Tuesday’s crash, many are left wondering: How many more lives must be lost before systemic changes are made?

For now, the victims of Tuesday’s crash are recovering in hospital, and their families are grappling with trauma and uncertainty. Investigations by the SAPS are ongoing, and authorities are expected to release more details about the cause soon.

The question on many lips, though, is painfully familiar: How do we stop this from happening again?

{Source: The Citizen}

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