Three people who made it out alive after a truck carrying coal fell onto their car and flattened it, have been described as miracle survivors by police and paramedics.
Johannesburg – Three people who made it out alive after a truck carrying coal fell onto their car and flattened it have been described as miracle survivors by police and paramedics.
When rescuers arrived at the scene in Diepkloof, Soweto on Monday morning, only the front part of the vehicle was visible as the rest was covered by coal and the truck.
However, they were cut out, treated at the scene and taken to hospital where they are in a stable condition.
“Fire-fighters who rescued them still can’t believe that they came out alive. They say they are extremely lucky indeed,” said Joburg Emergency Services’ Nana Radebe.
ER24’s Ineke van Huyssteen, said they arrived at the scene shortly after 8am to find only the front part of the vehicle sticking out from under the trailer of the truck that was carrying coal.
Inside, she said, were three people trapped under the coal and heavy truck.
“The City of Joburg fire department started with the extrication process that took more than an hour. Once the patients were freed, they were assessed and found to have sustained minor to moderate injuries.
“They were really lucky to survive. It really was not their time,” she said.
According to Radebe, their heavy rescue department had to cut the three people out as they were stuck under the truck in their vehicle.
“The truck driver and the driver of the other car turned at the same time. He said the other vehicle then bumped one of his wheel at the back and that was when the truck vehicle jackknifed.
“One of then lost consciousness but only sustained moderate injuries. The other is doing well too. The other one was in a critical condition but is stable now.
“They are extremely lucky to have survived.”
The Joburg Metro Police’s Wayne Minnaar said there were two men and one man in the car. He said the accident happened on the Chris Hani offramp towards Soweto and they were going to investigate circumstances that led to the crash.
“They were in a Toyota Corolla which was totally flatted in the crash. This was a miraculous survival,” he said.
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