By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Six people, including three children, have been killed in an accident involving a tanker truck and a bakkie on the N1 between Boabab toll gate and Musina in Limpopo.
The tanker driving on the southbound lane, collided with the bakkie which was going towards Musina.
It’s believed that fatigue and speed are the possible cause of the collision.
The tanker was transporting amonium nitrate acid and there was no leak reported.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has urged motorists travelling during the festive season to make their journeys during the day to enhance alertness and visibility.
Meanwhile the families of the people caught up in the devastating Boksburg blast now have an agonising wait to see who will pull through from their catastrophic injuries sustained on Saturday.
According to the police’s preliminary investigation, the gas tanker got stuck trying to drive under a low-level bridge, and the impact resulted in the explosion which spread to the nearby Tambo Memorial Hospital, and to the residential street where onlookers had gathered to watch the initial fire.
At the latest briefing on Sunday, it was announced that the death toll had risen to 15.
Thirty-seven people – 24 patients and 13 staff members from Tambo Memorial Hospital who were in or around the hospital’s accident and emergency unit at the time of the blast – sustained severe burns and were sent to neighbouring hospitals.
A driver and two enrolled nurses died in the explosion, which also caused severe structural damage. Firefighters who arrived at the scene after the first sign of flames once the tanker got stuck under a bridge, were among those injured.
SA Medical Association (SAMA) spokesperson, Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, explained that people who survived severe burn wounds could become extremely dehydrated from losing their skin.
The medical team looking after them would have to pay careful attention to the potential for bacterial infections, as victims can lose the protective barriers on their severely burnt bodies.
They would also have to keep a close watch for septicaemia, which can cause severe complications.
The patients who suffered from smoke inhalation would have been intubated to help their respiratory system recover.
Most of the patients would be treated in either an intensive care unit (ICU) or a high-care unit, and the next few days are crucial.
SAMA had put out a call for help for extra doctors and nurses to assist with the very specific care needed for burn victims, and the call had been answered, said Mzukwa.