One person died and six others sustained serious burns when the taxi they were travelling in burst into flames. The driver reports that he was travelling on the M 4 towards Durban and when they were opposite the Clairwood race course the vehicle burst into flames.
The driver immediately stopped the taxi and the commuters clambered out of the burning vehicle. Sadly one of the back passengers was trapped in the inferno and burned beyond recognition. Six other passengers sustained serious burn wounds but managed to scatter to safety.
Netcare 911 paramedics and their specialised rescue unit arrived on scene and while firemen were battling the blaze, they worked fervently to stabilise all the injured.
All the patients were transported by ambulance to various area hospitals for specialised treatment.
We would like to urge all vehicle owners to view the information on vehicle fire:
• Escape and Safety from Vehicle Fire
• Fire Stryker and extinguishing fires