Stop and go system in place near Knysna accident scene

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - A stop and go system is in place along the N2 outside Knysna, from the Rheenendal turn-off to the Red Bridge turn-off, this evening, Thursday 3 April, following the overturning of a truck carrying explosives at the Belvidere turn-off at 04:00.

The 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".

It said the Joint Operations Centre remained operational, coordinating all aspects of the recovery and extraction process.

This afternoon it was reported that a specialised vehicle from Cape Town was en route to the scene of the accident to assist with the removal of the explosives.

The operation to remove the explosives was expected to begin at 20:00.

"For safety reasons, the White Bridge will be closed from that time until the vehicle and its cargo are declared stable," a report said.

Motorists would have to use alternative routes to access Knysna from George, travel eastward to Plettenberg Bay, or travel westward to George during the operation.

Earlier, the municipality said "residents who were evacuated from within a 1km radius of the incident site have been informed that they may return to their homes".

"They must, however, be prepared for potential re-evacuation once the extraction process begins."

Anyone seeking further information is asked to contact the acting head of Disaster Management, Pam Booth, at 060 998 6967.

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