Update

KNYSNA NEWS - The bodies of the driver and a passenger of the truck carrying explosives that overturned at the Belvidere turn-off in the early hours of Thursday 3 April, have still not been identified.

The bodies are with the Knysna Forensic Pathology Services, awaiting identification.

The truck burst into flames after overturning, and Knysna Municipality's emergency services rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the fire. 

The victims were possibly burnt in the fire.

Residents evacuated

Because the truck was carrying containers of explosives, which were at risk of exploding and causing devastation in the surrounding area, the municipality advised residents within a 1km radius of the accident to evacuate their homes.

During the day, the N2 between the Rheenendal turn-off and the Red Bridge turn-off outside Knysna was closed at intervals while emergency responders attended to the accident scene, at times forcing westbound and eastbound traffic to use alternative routes.

Knysna Municipality said that the road between the turn-offs had been closed in the afternoon "due to the complexities of the hazardous material recovery operation and the critical need for rapid response access".

Highly technical operation

In the evening, the municipality said it had told the evacuated residents they could return to their homes. 

A specialised cargo truck travelled to the accident scene from Cape Town, and when it arrived late in the day, three containers of explosives were loaded onto it with a crane in a highly technical operation.

At 03:30 on Friday, the road was reopened to two-way traffic.

Those who provided assistance during the emergency included the Knysna Municipality Fire Service, GRDM Fire and Rescue Service, GRDM Disaster Management, the SAPS, the SAPS explosives unit, and the Western Cape Provincial Ambulance Service and Traffic Department.

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