Dbn woman trapped under bus

2008-11-18 10:39

Durban - Authorities were on Tuesday working tirelessly to remove a woman trapped beneath a bus in Durban's Berea area.

Describing the scene, paramedics said the bus was on top of a small red car with only one of the woman's arms and legs visible to them.

Fire department officials and the police search and rescue team were using the jaws of life to try and extricate the woman.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics were ventilating the woman but her injuries were unknown at this stage.

"We also don't know if anyone else was in the car because the other portion of the car is beneath the bus," he said.

Bus was speeding

Witnesses said the bus had been speeding along Edith Benson Road (formerly Botanic Gardens Road) and did not stop at a red traffic light.

The bus apparently collided with a number of cars and drove through the intersection before hitting a black BMW and landing on top of a red Volkswagen Polo.

The red bus came to a halt about 70 metres from the intersection.

Motorist Wayne Rengasamy said he had seen the bus first hit a white car, which in turn hit a BMW, before hitting the Red Polo.

"He (the bus driver) didn't look sober to me."

Another motorist Gale Hansen said the traffic light was red.

"We had all stopped . I just saw this bus fly. He was either drunk or his brakes failed."

- SAPA