Survivor’s narrow escape in crash blaze

ONE of the survivors of a horror accident that claimed the lives of 15 people on the N2 near Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday night said she did not know how she had escaped death.

Londiwe Myeni, of Jozini, was among five people who survived when their minibus taxi burnt out after a collision with another vehicle. Those in the other vehicle, a former Stanger family who had moved to Richards Bay, were also killed. Both vehicles burst into flames on impact.

During a hospital visit by KZN Transport MEC Mxolisi Kaunda, Myeni told journalists it was by God’s grace that she had lived to tell the tale.

Myeni, who was being treated at the Ngwelezane Hospital, said: “I really do not know how I survived because our taxi caught fire. We were heading home from a wedding.”

When Kaunda came to greet and pray for the survivors, Myeni complained of “severe pain”.

Kaunda could not speak to those who had been badly injured but the survivors described the blaze that broke out after the crash as huge.

The Department of Transport’s Victor Chetty said those rescued were pulled out of the taxi by community members.

The department said the weekend marked a terrible start to the festive season as 22 people had lost their lives in accidents in KZN. A crash in Bhamshela had claimed seven lives.

Kaunda said they would not let the tragedies derail road safety plans for the month that were launched in Port Shepstone on Saturday, and more officers would be on the roads executing a strategy of visible policing. |