Seventeen people were badly injured on Thursday when about 7 000 people turned up to apply for 500 jobs at Durban’s new marine theme park, police said.
Police spokesperson Captain Gugu Sabela said some of the job seekers, gathered at Durban’s International Convention Centre, were crushed against a steel fence by the crowd pushing from behind.
Seventeen people were ”fairly badly” injured and had to be taken to hospital. Another 52 job seekers suffered minor injuries.
Russell Stevens, chairperson of uShaka Island Management, said people had been queuing since 4am, when two busloads of job seekers arrived and pushed to the front of the line.
This caused great pressure, he said.
Stevens said they were expecting between 4 000 and 7 000 applicants and had arranged for security guards inside the exhibition centre.
The police had been asked to monitor the situation outside the centre.
Stevens said they were looking for ”first work seekers” whom the company would train in jobs including security guards, cashiers, cleaners and information officers.
The uShaka Marine Theme Park is due to open at the end of April. — Sapa