Durban — Two firefighters are recovering in hospital after the fire truck they were travelling in overturned, leaving them trapped inside on Higginson Highway in Chatsworth on Sunday.
The truck veered off the road on highway between unit 3 and the 5 offramp.
According to ALS Paramedics Medical Services spokesperson Garrith Jamieson, ALS paramedics received numerous calls just after 6.30am about a collision involving a fire tender on the M1 Higginson Highway on Pinetown bound side near the Westcliff off-ramp.
“On arrival paramedics found that a fire tender had somehow lost control and overturned, coming to rest on the side of the road.
“Two occupants who were firemen were trapped in the wreckage and their colleagues freed them using the jaws of life, whilst emergency personnel and ALS paramedics worked to stabilise them,” said Jamieson.
After the two firefighters were freed they were loaded into ambulances.
“The two sustained moderate injuries and were stabilised on-scene before they were transported to the nearest hospital for the further care they required,” said Jamieson.
He said the SAPS and metro police would investigate the events leading to the accident.
Meanwhile, firefighters battled a blaze on Saturday night which left over 1 000 families displaced in Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo.
The informal settlement was partially burnt and settlers were relocated to a nearby hall on Sunday where they were being provided with necessities.
The eThekwini Municipality confirmed that there were no fatalities.
The proportional representative eThekwini Municipality councillor for Ward 90, Lindiwe Mthembu, said the fire broke out at a street light pole and spread through the area.
Mthembu added that about 15 people were injured, but not critically, and taken to health facilities.
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