- An Eastern Cape health department ambulance rolled several times and plunged down a steep embankment along the R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns on 12 October 2026
- Emergency personnel descended the slope using ropes to retrieve those trapped, with at least one health department employee brought up at the scene
- Rescue workers were still working to reach up to three more people believed to be trapped inside the vehicle when the reporter filed
Source: Getty Images
EASTERN CAPE — A health department ambulance plunged down a steep embankment along the R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns on the evening of 12 October 2026, leaving patients and crew members trapped as emergency responders scrambled to reach them.
According to Newzroom Afrika, the vehicle, travelling in the direction of Port St Johns from Mthatha, reportedly rolled multiple times before coming to rest several metres below the road in a densely-vegetated ditch.
Rescue operation underway on steep slope
Rescue workers were filmed using ropes to descend and ascend the embankment as they worked to retrieve those inside the wrecked vehicle. At least one person, believed to be a health department employee, was brought up from the wreckage while the report was being filed. Officials indicated that up to three more individuals may still have been trapped inside the ambulance at that stage.
Three patients on the ground were being attended to by emergency personnel. One patient had a drip inserted, while another was visibly bleeding from the face. The full number of people who had been inside the vehicle at the time of the accident had not been confirmed.
Treacherous road conditions on the R61
The R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns is widely regarded as a hazardous stretch of road, characterised by sharp curves, steep gradients, and speed limit restrictions as low as 60 kilometres per hour in places. The cause of the accident had not been established at the time of reporting and is expected to be the subject of a formal investigation.
Watch the rescue operation on the R61 embankment on X:
12 Killed in Western Cape crash
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the fatal N1 collision between Prince Albert and Leeu-Gamka in the Western Cape, which left at least 21 people dead and three seriously injured.
The crash involved two minibus taxis and a station wagon, prompting authorities to close the highway in both directions. The only available detour added about 200 kilometres to the journey.
Source: Briefly News
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