Horror Midrand crash: Five dead after taxi overturns and catches fire

Five individuals lost their lives after a minibus taxi collided with a Mercedes-Benz sedan and subsequently overturned, resulting in a fire at the intersection of Pretoria Main Road and Maxwell Drive in Waterfall, Midrand. The incident occurred on a Tuesday evening, according to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD). Superintendent Xolani Fihla of the JMPD confirmed that law enforcement officers and emergency services were dispatched to the scene of the serious two-vehicle collision.

Regrettably, five fatalities were confirmed on the scene from the minibus taxi, Fihla stated. The condition of the passengers in the Mercedes-Benz sedan has yet to be determined as emergency responders continued their work at the scene.

The intersection was closed in all directions, causing significant traffic delays in Midrand and Waterfall during peak traffic hours on Tuesday evening. This crash follows a head-on collision a week prior on the N1 Ben Schoeman Highway, which claimed the lives of three people. Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst reported that an SUV and a light motor vehicle were involved in that collision.

Both occupants of the SUV, an adult man and a woman, were found with fatal injuries and declared dead at the scene. Similarly, the driver of the light motor vehicle, also an adult man, was discovered without signs of life and declared dead at the location. Rescue technicians, along with fire and rescue services, utilized hydraulic tools to free the victims from the wreckage, as reported by Netcare 911.

The circumstances leading to the collision are currently under investigation by the JMPD.