At least 12 people were injured and traffic was brought to a standstill following a major multi-vehicle collision on Durban's M4 Southern Freeway on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene near the Edwin Swales off-ramp, where multiple vehicles, including a truck and a minibus taxi, were involved in the pile-up.
According to ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson, paramedics arrived to find a chaotic scene with several damaged vehicles scattered across the roadway.
"Paramedics arrived on scene to find chaos as they found multiple vehicles, approximately four vehicles and a truck, that had been involved in the crash. One of those vehicles was a minibus taxi," Jamieson said.
Due to the number of injured victims, additional Advanced Life Support units and ambulances were called in to assist with the emergency response.
Approximately 12 people sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. After receiving treatment and stabilisation at the scene, the injured were transported to various hospitals across Durban for further medical care.
The collision caused significant traffic congestion, with several lanes of the busy freeway closed as emergency personnel worked to clear the wreckage and assist the injured.
"Traffic was severely affected as most of the lanes of the highway had been closed due to damaged vehicles lying across the roadway," Jamieson added.
The cause of the crash remains unknown at this stage. Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Metro Police attended the scene and have launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collision.
Motorists were advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes while recovery operations continued.