"Red Bull Did Give Them Wings": Looters Strip Truck Carrying Energy Drinks After Cato Manor Crash
- A distribution truck travelling from Newcastle overturned on Harry Gwala Road in Cato Manor, Durban, after colliding with a car on Thursday
- Hundreds of people descended on the crash site and looted Red Bull energy drinks and bath soap products scattered across the road
- Both drivers were robbed of personal belongings before police and K9 units arrived to restore order at the scene
Source: Facebook
DURBAN - A truck carrying Red Bull energy drinks and bath soap products overturned on Harry Gwala Road in the Cato Manor area of Durban on Thursday morning, triggering a looting frenzy that left paramedics unable to reach the injured drivers.
The truck, which was transporting goods from Newcastle, collided with a car, causing it to overturn and spill its cargo across the road. Within moments, hundreds of people arrived at the scene and began carrying off large quantities of the goods. To make matters worse, the drivers of both vehicles were robbed of their personal belongings while chaos unfolded around them.
Paramedics blocked by looters at Cato Manor crash
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson confirmed that his team arrived at the scene at around 6am, only to find themselves confronted by the disorder. He said the paramedics were unable to assist the injured until police had regained control of the area.
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"The drivers of the two vehicles had also been robbed and waited for SAPS and metro police to arrive," Jamieson said.
He added that the circumstances leading to the crash were still unclear and that the South African Police Service was continuing to investigate.
SAPS and K9 unit called to restore order
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu confirmed that once SAPS members and the K9 Unit arrived, the individuals at the scene fled. He described how the collision had scattered cargo across the roadway, with some of it damaged on impact before looters took the rest.
"While some of the goods were damaged in the crash, members of the surrounding community allegedly descended on the scene and looted a substantial quantity of the cargo," Ndlovu said.
No arrests had been made at the time of the report. The owner of the distribution company opened a case of theft at Cato Manor SAPS, and an accident report was also registered.
People loot overturned truck in the Vaal
In simlar news, a video of a badly damaged on the R549 Vaal Dam road and the R23 trended. This was because rather than standing back after the truck crashed into a wall, a large crowd of residents were on the crash site and began collecting the spilled goods. People climbed onto the wreckage, rummaged through buckets and broken packaging, and grabbed whatever they could carry.
Traffic officers allegedly caught looting
Briefly News aslo reported that a viral video showing traffic officers apparently taking bags of maize meal from a burnt truck alongside community members has sparked outrage and debate among South Africans. While some social media users described the incident as looting by public officials, others argued that the food may have already been condemned and was no longer suitable for commercial sale.
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Source: Briefly News
