Trok sien sy gat: City vullis van sinks as Lavender Hill road collapses
OH MY GAT: Residents in Lavender Hill woke to the sound of this compactor collapsing into a sinkhole. Picture: Leon Knipe
Mense in Lavender Hill got a moerse skrik on Monday when a City of Cape Town vullistrok got stuck in a big sinkhole after the road near Muir Court collapsed.
An eyewitness says people were seen running towards the scene after hearing a loud bang before 9am.
According to a 47-year-old driver, who asked not to be named, mense also took the kans to steal fuel from the truck as they waited for rescue services to arrive.
“I was picking up people when we heard a loud bang and saw mense running,” he explains.
“A woman was injured after she fell into the hole because she was at the back of the truck. The driver and the rest of his crew were fine.
“While some people went to help her, other mense saw a chance to steal the fuel that was leaking from the truck.”
Videos of the incident went viral on chat groups, showing mense carrying away diesel in water kannetjies while aunties are heard asking for suikerwater for the shocked City workers.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that rescue workers received a call for help on Monday morning.
“We dispatched a technical rescue vehicle with a crane and a crew from Wynberg to have the truck removed from the roadway,” he said.
“An adult female sustained minor injuries and was transported to hospital. Another towing service arrived to assist as the vehicle is extremely heavy.”
Mayco member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, says that a refuse compactor truck was involved, adding that there were “no visible signs of damage on the road surface”.
“Contingency measures are being put in place to ensure minimal delays to refuse collection services in the area. Counselling is also available for staff if needed,” he said.
The truck was removed from the hole by 5pm.
Mayco member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says that the City is investigating possible causes for the incident, which includes a collapsed sewer.
“We urge residents to please stay away from the site for safety reasons,” he adds.