KEY POINTS
- Armed gang forced a CIT vehicle off the road, overturned it, and blew it up, killing one and injuring 10.
- Gunfire spread across multiple locations, injuring security guards, commuters, and pedestrians.
- Police are searching for the suspects, who fled after robbing the cash-in-transit van and attempting to hijack a taxi.
The N2 freeway in the south of Durban was completely shut down during peak Tuesday morning traffic following a violent cash-in-transit (CIT) heist that left one person dead and 10 others injured.
The brazen attack, carried out by a heavily armed gang, caused widespread panic as gunfire erupted across multiple locations.
The attack took place between the M7 and the M1 Higginson Highway, where the suspects forced the security vehicle off the road. The armored truck overturned and landed on its roof before being blown up. Security guards and bystanders were caught in the crossfire, leading to multiple casualties.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson described the scene as total chaos. “Paramedics found multiple casualties, and more ambulances were dispatched to assist.
Three security guards were treated for various injuries before being transported to the hospital,” he said.
Gunmen Spread Terror Across Multiple Locations
In the same vicinity, about 500 meters from the heist scene, three commuters in a minibus taxi sustained gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile, on the Higginson Highway bridge over the N2, two more people were shot. The third incident occurred on Silverglen Drive in the Chatsworth area, where a female pedestrian and a security guard were gunned down.
Jamieson confirmed that one woman, believed to be in her 30s, succumbed to her injuries on the scene. Police sealed off the N2 as they launched an extensive investigation into the attack.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Col Robert Netshiunda, said the suspects ambushed the CIT vehicle, assaulted the guards, and stole an undisclosed amount of money. They also seized firearms from the security personnel before making their escape through the Bayview area.
While fleeing, the criminals continued their rampage, opening fire on a private security guard who attempted to chase them. In a desperate bid to escape, they tried to hijack a minibus taxi, shooting and killing a female passenger while injuring another woman who was walking along the road.
Authorities have launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, urging anyone with information to come forward.
