Over 40 Cars Involved in Accident on N3 in KZN, South Africans Blame High Number of Trucks on the Road

• A horrific accident on the N3 between Hilton and Cedera in KwaZulu-Natal has left many people injured
• At least five people died on the scene and emergency services worked hard to save passengers trapped in cars
• South Africans are saddened by the tragic accident and are calling on government to reduce the number of trucks on the road and reinstate rail transport

DURBAN - The Easter weekend came to a tragic end for many South Africans.

On Monday afternoon, around 41 cars were involved in a pile-up on the N3 between Hilton and Cedara, leaving five people dead.

N3 northbound reopens after horrific accident

The KwaZulu-Natal Traffic Department reopened the N3 northbound just before midnight on Monday, 10 April.

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TimesLIVE reports that traffic officials had to recover the deceaseds' bodies, assist survivors and transfer critically injured patients to medical healthcare facilities before allowing traffic to move along.

According to News24, the first reports from the accident scene indicated that at least 22 light motor vehicles, eight minibus taxis and five trucks had been involved in the major crash.

The N3 northbound car pile-up crash left many people stranded

The cause of the accident has not been determined, but KwaZulu-Natal emergency services spokesperson Robert Mckenzie stated that the heavy mist made traffic management at the scene difficult.

Emergency services personnel worked hard to retrieve people stuck in their vehicles and in some instances, the jaws of life had to be used.

News24 reports that several pictures and videos of the accident site were shared on social media, showing people, including babies, stranded on the side of the road.

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uMngeni Municipality opened the Town Hall to stranded passengers and offered them a place to sleep and a hot meal.

People who are still trying to locate their family members are urged to call the emergency contact centre number on 033 940 8484.

South Africans blame trucks for N3 pile-up

@bheshelmabala said:

"Weather is not good, and lama trucks amane ajahe nje."

@Sbokloza said:

"Take trucks off the road, please. And bring Rail Transport. Containers must be moved by trains."

@gumede_smanga said:

"You report the same thing every Easter and December, can't the department find solutions bakwethu. Especially for long weekends and the holiday season."

@LungyMakasi said:

"N3 has too many, too many trucks. It's too much."

Truck driver behind Durban’s M14 pile-up appears in court, SA sympathises: “He is just a kid”

Briefly News previously reported that the 22-year-old truck driver who allegedly caused a multi-vehicle accident on the M41 highway near Umhlanga appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 8 March.

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Sithulile Siyabonga Nhlanhlayethu Zulu is facing charges of reckless and negligent driving and failure to comply with the duties of a driver.

The tipper truck driver allegedly lost control of his vehicle and collided with over 40 cars stuck in traffic. According to The Witness, the matter has been remanded for bail information on Wednesday, 15 March.

Source: Briefly News