PUPIL SAVES SCHOOLMATES, TEACHERS AS KOMBI ROLLS

MBABANE - A Saim High School pupil saved his schoolmates and teachers after a Toyota Quantum they were travelling in overturned and plunged into a ditch yesterday.

The accident happened opposite the Police Headquarters in Mbabane, at around 4pm. The pupil is said to have acted swiftly after he saw the Toyota Quantum catching fire with some occupants still struggling to come out. At the time, the Toyota Quantum had overturned with its tyres upside down. Eyewitnesses shared that the pupil, who was the first to come out of the overturned motor vehicle, pulled a fire extinguisher and put out the fire, the moment he saw fire on the right front tyre.

Assist

“I saw one pupil putting out the fire from the right front tyre when we arrived to assist. We were at the market opposite the Ministry of Home Affairs when we saw the Toyota Quantum driving at a high speed. We saw it veering off the road and almost knocking against an electric pole before it plunged into the ditch. We could not ascertain why the Toyota Quantum was driving at a high speed, but we suspect that driver was trying to avoid other cars after it developed brake failure,” said one of the eyewitnesses.He shared that there were about 12 passengers, inclusive of pupils and teachers of from Saim High School. The eyewitness said some pupils escaped with minor injuries while some teachers were seriously injured. Another eyewitness, who said was following the Toyota Quantum from Mahwalala, attributed the accident to brake failure. He stated that he followed the Toyota Quantum until it veered off the road and plunged into the ditch.

Upon arrival at the scene, some of the injured passengers were still lying on the ground, while means to get an ambulance were being made. However, the ambulance did not arrive, resulting in the Eswatini National Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services personnel ferrying the injured passengers to the Mbabane Government Hospital in a van. Some were transported to hospital with private cars. The driver was taken by the police after fetching the items that were scattered in the ditch. He was able to walk but he seemed to have been injured on the arm, as the police officer advised him to keep his arm covered. Some of those present at the scene wondered why the ambulance took so long to arrive at the scene. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the accident. Vilakati said police were still trying to ascertain the number of passengers as they were rushed to hospital immediately after the accident.

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