/ 14 March 2011

Dozens injured in Northcliff bus accident

Sixty-seven people were injured, four of them seriously, in a bus accident in Northcliff, Johannesburg, on Monday morning, paramedics said.

The bus overturned on to its left-hand side at the corner of 14th Avenue and Suzanne Crescent, possibly due to slippery conditions in the wet weather, ER24 spokesperson Vanessa Jackson said.

Four people, including two pregnant women, were seriously injured. They were quickly taken to a nearby medical facility.

Back and neck injuries
Two light motor vehicles, an Audi and a Nissan, tried to avoid a collision with the bus, but skidded on to the side of the road. The drivers were treated for possible back and neck injuries.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 75 people had been injured in the accident.

The Leaders Personnel Group business, located nearby, heard the accident and sent its first aid team to assist.

ER24, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services and other emergency services assisted at the scene, with 15 ambulances used to ferry the injured to hospitals.

The injuries ranged from minor cuts and bruises to broken bones and internal injuries.

The South African Police Service also assisted by directing traffic around the scene of the accident. — Sapa