OFM News dedicated traffic hotlines have been inundated with accident alerts, with these ranging from warnings on specific roads to serious alerts such as collisions caused by slippery roads. In the latest among these is an accident said to have taken place in Bloemfontein on the N1 near a garage, where the vehicle driver is said to have lost control of the vehicle.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson in the province, Sipho Towa, said there were two passengers in the vehicle and they were both members of the South African Defence Force. They suffered moderate injuries and were transported to 3Mil Hospital at the Tempe Military Base in Bloemfontein. This accident took place earlier this afternoon around 14h45. In a separate incident that took place around lunch today, another driver on the R716 road between Sasolburg and Deneysville, still in the province, also lost control of his vehicle. Towa says the vehicle slid down a slope alongside the road but luckily, the driver only suffered minor injuries and was treated on the scene by emergency medical services.

Meanwhile, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, which covers Bloemfontein, Dewetsdorp, Thaba Nchu, Botshabelo, Soutpan, and Van Stadensrus, has warned motorists, particularly in Bloemfontein, to drive cautiously and where possible, avoid roads where flooding is more prevalent. The metro has also announced that it dispatched an additional twenty traffic officers to regulate traffic in parts of the city which are affected by either load-shedding at traffic lights or the floods. Other disaster relief efforts will comprise of the fire and rescue, police, human settlement, transport, and social development directorates all being on standby to help members of the city who will be affected by these floods. Mangaung residents are requested to contact 051 406 6660 or 051 409 9600 in cases of emergencies.

OFM News