A man has been shot dead in the Durban CBD during a cash-in-transit heist. seven street vendors were also inuured when the robbers crashed into them while trying to flee the scene.
The event unfolded on Tuesday near the Market off Victoria Street.
According to Garrith Jamieson, the Managing Director of ALS Paramedics, a series of distress calls were received shortly after 9:40 am reporting both gunfire and a vehicular collision.
Upon their arrival, responders encountered a scene of considerable disorder stemming from an alleged armed robbery targeting a cash-in-transit vehicle.
Tragically, a young male, believed to be in his early twenties, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was beyond medical assistance.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Concurrently, the cash-in-transit vehicle, in an attempt to flee, collided with a taxi that was transporting passengers.
Subsequently, the cash-in-transit vehicle veered off the road, striking street vendors in its path.
Seven vendors endured injuries of varying degrees of severity, requiring immediate stabilization prior to their transfer to medical facilities.
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The involvement of the deceased individual in the criminal act or his status as an innocent bystander remains unclear.
Eyewitnesses revealed that the suspects abandoned their original vehicle and utilized a taxi to flee the scene.
The precise amount of money taken during the cash-in-transit heist is currently unknown.
More than twelve vehicles from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and metropolitan police were present at the scene, leading to road closures in the area.
A street vendor, preferring to remain anonymous, recounted the harrowing experience, describing the initial panic prompted by the sound of people in distress and the rapid approach of the cash-in-transit vehicle. Gunshots followed, prompting the vendor to flee.
Others sought refuge under their vending tables, resulting in chaotic scenes.
The vendor expressed profound fear and shock, emphasizing the unfortunate consequence that innocent individuals were harmed despite their lack of involvement in the incident.
The street vendors, he mentioned, are solely focused on providing for their families, making the injuries particularly heart-wrenching.
Colonel Boysie Zungu, spokesperson for the metropolitan police, confirmed that an investigative team remained on-scene, yet to provide a comprehensive report on the incident.
CIT Robbery in Durban CBD on Pine Street. One person sadly shot dead pic.twitter.com/3df2WFQ4px
— Durban Sun (@DurbanSun) August 22, 2023