In a heart wrenching moment of a mother’s undying love even in the face of death, a mother squeezed her son out of a burning minibus taxi before she was burned to death in the horrific Pietermaritzburg pile-up crash on Saturday morning.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Ms Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni revealed details of the mother’s heroic fit moments before she died in the inferno.
As SA Trucker reported earlier, the accident occurred on the N3 southbound between Peter Brown and Sanctuary Road in Pietermaritzburg.
Watch: N3 southbound closed after Peter Brown, truck on fire following crash
“According to preliminary reports a truck had initially overturned on the N3. As it was still awaiting to be removed from the freeway and as vehicles were travelling trying to avoid the overturned truck a Toyota Quantum minibus went under the truck causing a chain reaction which resulted in a nine car pile up,” Nkonyeni said.
She said that the minibus with 17 occupants was entrapped and caught alight with 16 passengers being burnt beyond recognion.
One seven year old boy in the minibus survived after his mother who was trapped in the minibus was able to squeeze him through the window and handed him over to an Road Traffic Inspectorate officer who had been attending to the truck that had overturned,
KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Ms Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni
“The boy was rushed to Northdale hospital where he is currently being treated for internal injuries”
The RTI vehicle that the officer was travelling in was also burnt, however, the officer who saved the boy was unharmed.
It is believed that the Toyota Quantum minibus was travelling from Gauteng to Harding on the southern KwaZulu-Natal.
Among the deceased included seven females and nine males who were all passengers in the minibus.
MEC Nkonyeni has expressed her heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.
“I am deeply saddened by this gruesome accident which has claimed so many lives. My heartfelt condolences to the families of all the victims I also wish those who sustained injuries a speedily recovery, said Nkonyeni.
As at 18h00, fifteen hours after the crash, the road was still closed as emergency personnel were still busy clearing the scene.
