At least 11 people were killed and several others seriously injured in a collision between a truck and a fully loaded taxi on the R102 near Lotus Park, south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on Thursday morning.
Witnesses reported that the truck jackknifed on wet and slippery roads, causing the taxi to be pinned against a tree.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson described the scene as “chaos and carnage,” noting that multiple casualties were trapped and required extrication by the eThekwini Fire Department.
Road closure after a truck carrying a container collided with a fully loaded minibus taxi on the R102, Isipingo. At the moment, 9 people are confirmed dead.
Multiple emergency services are working together on the scene. https://t.co/dU9Y5dpSiw#ArriveAlive @AlsParamedics pic.twitter.com/ieWXX31cRx
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 29, 2026
”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.
“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,” The Citizen quoted Jamieson as saying.
Among the fatalities was at least one school-going child. Approximately eight other victims were rushed to hospitals with serious to critical injuries, the report said.
The taxi driver remained severely trapped at the time of reporting.
Authorities have closed the roadway, urging motorists to avoid the area as investigations continue.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Multiple fatalities as a truck and a minibus taxi collide on the R102 outside Isipingohttps://t.co/Ih22PH9ONA#ArriveAlive #TaxiCrash #TruckCrash @AlsParamedics pic.twitter.com/0ApVpEK5a6
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 29, 2026
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
