A bus collision at the entrance of the University of Johannesburg has left 70 people injured. (Radio Islam/Twitter)
Emergency services were on scene where some 70 people were injured, some of them seriously, when two buses collided at the entrance to the University of Johannesburg on Tuesday morning.
The spokesperson for the Johannesburg metropolitan police department, Xolani Fihla, said the cause of the accident is not yet known.
“Officers have been dispatched and we know there are paramedics on the scene,” he said.
ER24 and several other emergency services arrived on the scene early on Tuesday to find one bus overturned and lying on its side, obstructing part of the university’s entrance, while the other bus had crashed into a concrete structure.
In a statement, ER24 said there were no fatalities, but about 70 people had injuries ranging from minor to severe. Additional emergency resources had been dispatched to provide critical support to those with serious injuries.
“The patients were treated for their injuries, and the seriously injured were provided with advanced life support before they were transported to various hospitals for further care,” it said.
With the assistance of the Johannesburg fire department, several people were extricated from the bus using specialised hydraulic equipment including the jaws-of-life.
The University of Johannesburg’s media relations manager, Herman Esterhuizen, confirmed that about 19 students were on one of the buses. Three students were taken to hospital while 16 others are receiving counselling on campus.
“Our thoughts are with the affected students and their families. The university will do everything it can to ensure that the students receive the necessary medical care and counselling,” he said.