A Philippi mother is mourning after a young boy tragically lost his life in a devastating accident involving a truck carrying portable toilets. Yonela Vuthula, a grieving mother, is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her beloved son, Endinakho, who was fatally injured on the 13th of July, 2023.
According to Yonela, her energetic eight-year-old son was playing with a friend on the streets of Philippi at approximately 3 pm on that fateful day. The boys had devised a game involving a string that they had tied across the road. However, when they spotted a truck approaching, Endinakho quickly sprang into action to untie the string.
Yonela, visibly devastated, explained the heart-wrenching sequence of events. “The explanation from his friend is that he untied from one side while it was tied to a pole on the other side. When he untied it, he rolled it onto his hand. Unfortunately, as the truck passed by, the string got hooked, and Endinakho was violently pulled towards it. He fell to the ground and tragically was struck by the back wheels of the truck,” she recounted, her voice trembling with grief.
The distraught driver, unaware of the accident, loaded Endinakho’s lifeless body onto the truck. He hurriedly transported the young boy to the local hospital, where medical professionals pronounced him dead. It was Endinakho’s friend who rushed to inform Yonela’s family of the heartbreaking incident.
“He told us that Endinakho had been hit by a truck. When we arrived at the scene, he was no longer there, but we discovered his blood stained across the vicinity,” Yonela shared, her eyes brimming with tears.
Together with her sisters, she rushed to the KTC Day hospital in desperate hope of a miraculous recovery. However, their hopes were shattered when a doctor, needing the necessary details, confirmed Endinakho’s untimely demise.
Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, spokesman for the local police precinct, offered his condolences to the grieving family. Confirming the incident, he stated, “Nyanga police attended a complaint on Thursday the 13th of July. Upon arrival at the local medical facility, they discovered the body of a male who had succumbed to the injuries sustained. The victim was declared deceased by medical personnel.”
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With the investigation underway, the Nyanga police have registered an inquest case to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident.