Thursday, 28 March, 2024
HomeWeekly Roundup2 ambulances intercepted and attacked by KZN mobs

2 ambulances intercepted and attacked by KZN mobs

Mob attacks on emergency medical services continued during the festive season.

The Witness reports that on Christmas day, two separate ambulance call-outs in the Lions River area were intercepted by violent attackers from the informal settlement and had to flee before getting to the patients.

This included a crew from St Michael's Ambulance Services that arrived in the area just before midnight only to have to flee and race to the Howick police station for safety. Operations manager, Charles Newborn, said as the crew approached the patient's house, they came under attack from an angry mob who threw rocks at the ambulance then physically hit the vehicle while trying to get into it.

Once the paramedics escaped the mob they were then pursued by a car from the scene, which had several occupants in it. They drove straight to Howick SAPS for safety with the car chasing them until just before they reached their destination.

"The calls were genuine and the crews were responding to two different cases but unfortunately neither of them could get help because of the attacks."

 

[link url="https://www.news24.com/witness/news/kzn/paramedics-come-under-attack-from-angry-mob-in-kwazulu-natal-20201227"]Full The Witness report[/link]

 

From MedicalBrief's Archives:

 

[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/cape-town-paramedic-shot-while-under-saps-escort/"]Paramedic shot while under SAPS escort in Cape Town[/link]

 

[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/police-escort-paramedics-6-troublesome-johannesburg-areas/"]SAPS escort paramedics in 6 troublesome Johannesburg areas[/link]

MedicalBrief — our free weekly e-newsletter

We'd appreciate as much information as possible, however only an email address is required.