Chaos broke out in Magoebaskloof in the early hours of Wednesday morning when a truck caught fire on the R71 between Haenertsburg and Tzaneen and its load of gas cylinders exploded.
By Jasper Raats
It is not known whether anyone was injured or killed in the incident. The road through Magoebaskloof was still closed to traffic as of late Wednesday morning. Motorists and truck drivers had to use alternative routes via the badly damaged R528 via George’s Valley or the much longer R36 through Modjadjiskloof to get from Tzaneen to Polokwane.
Emergency services, including the Letaba Fire Protection Association, Tzaneen’s fire department and the town’s disaster management team, as well as an emergency and support team, were quickly on the scene after the first gas cylinders began to explode around 01:00.
The worst of the flames were extinguished by 04:30 and there was only one fire still moving slowly down the mountain towards the Warriors Basecamp, a campus where young people from all over the world participate in a gap year development programme.
At 07:30 Rowena Viljoen van Schalkwyk of the Warriors Basecamp reported this campsite was also safe.
Trucks’ Recurring Brake Failures Spark Resident Anger
Although it has not yet been officially confirmed, it appears the truck’s brakes failed on the pass and the vehicle caught fire.
According to the Far North Bulletin, the driver lost control of the truck.
Residents of Magoebaskloof and Tzaneen took to social media to rail against truck owners and drivers using the R71. Trucks are supposed to use the R528 because it is not as steep. However, this road is not as well maintained as the R71.
Residents of the area say this is the second time in one week there has been a truck accident at the same location due to brakes failing.
