A group of looters delayed help to crash victims after a collision between a truck carrying alcohol and a taxi on the R72 in East London, reported Arrive Alive.
The crash happened near the King Phalo Airport on Friday, 20 December 2024. DispatchLIVE reports that there were numerous injuries, with a teenage girl losing her life.
EAST LONDON CRASH
DispatchLIVE revealed the cause of the accident and how many people were involved. Unathi Binqose, Spokesperson of the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, said a teenage girl lost her life. The teen was a pedestrian and died on the scene. The truck and taxi collided when the truck driver was trying to avoid the girl.
Thankfully, the three occupants in the taxi, the driver and two passengers, only sustained minor injuries. The truck driver on the other hand escaped unharmed.
LOOTING CONDEMNED
Binqose condemned the looting. The chaos reportedly prevented the paramedics from getting to the crash victims. Binqose said: “The looting made it impossible for rapid response teams to attend to the injured.”
In a video shared by Arrive Alive on their X account, scores of people can be seen running towards the truck. They seem to be carrying items they took from the stationary truck. Others are standing around and looking at what was happening.
The person who recorded the clip explained a troubling trend he has noticed. He said it has become common for people living in areas close to where crashes occur to run to the scene first. These individuals invade accident scenes putting the lives of victims on the line. He further stated that some of them go as far as taking the personal belongings of the crash victims before medical help arrives.
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