Publications
Partners
- Sixty-five passengers were rescued from a bus stuck on a flooded road.
- The bus suffered a breakdown after water entered the dashboard area and affected the electronics.
- The rescue team rushed to the scene after receiving a frantic call from a female passenger.
Sixty-five passengers were rescued from a bus stuck on a flooded road in Gauteng on Friday morning.
The 60-seater bus was travelling from Orlando, Soweto, to the northern suburbs, when the incident happened.
Emer-G-Med's emergency operation centre received a frantic call at around 06:30 from a female passenger, who was stuck on the bus.
"The caller was in distress and could not accurately explain her location or landmark.
"The emergency dispatcher requested the caller to send a GPS location over WhatsApp messenger, while the Emer-G-Med Emergency Operations Centre, together with First Assist, sprung into action," said Emer-G-Med spokesperson, Kyle van Reenen.
He said once the location was received, multiple rescue units from the City of Johannesburg, SAPS, Emergency Medical Services and First Assist Commercial Heavy Duty Towing division were dispatched to the location.
The rescue services were able to conduct the rescue operation, resulting in the safe retrieval of all the passengers.
The spokesperson for the bus company, Lindokuhle Xulu, confirmed the incident and said the bus suffered a breakdown after water from the floods entered the dashboard area and affected the electronics.
SEE | Man glues his face to 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' at the Hague during climate protest
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department received numerous complaints regarding roads being flooded.
The department's spokesperson, Xolani Fihla, said the most affected areas in Johannesburg were Soweto and Roodepoort.
"In Soweto, Nancefield Road is flooded between Mncube Drive and Klipspruit Valley Road in Dube. And, in Orlando, West Ngiba Street is flooded and is being closed off between Khumalo Road and Maseli Street," Fihla said.
He said the Soweto highway was flooded near the railway bridge, but the water had now subsided.
Traffic, however, was still moving slowly.
Fihla said they had also received reports of flooding in Protea Glen and Tladi in Soweto.
According to Fihla, in Roodepoort, Sisulu Road in Florida is flooded and remains closed.
"The low-lying bridge on Kilbourn Street has eroded, and a sinkhole has developed. The road has been closed off to traffic," said Fihla.
He added: "The department has not received reports of injuries due to the flooding, but an incident was brought to their attention, where there was an accident involving a taxi and a Volkswagen Polo in Kliptown, and it was alleged that the occupants fell over the bridge. The department will make a follow-up to see if this is true."
