Man dies from cold weather after taxi is stuck in snow

The heavy snow that fell in many parts of KwaZulu-Natal this weekend has claimed the life of a man who was a passenger in a taxi that was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the snow-covered N3 highway.

The man was travelling from Gauteng to KZN when he died from exposure to extremely cold weather conditions overnight. 

KZN's Midlands emergency services' spokesperson Roland Robertson said the taxi got stuck in traffic in the snow on the N3 after it had stopped for refreshments.

He said paramedic were dispatched to the Merrivale shopping centre in Howick (20km northwest of Pietermaritzburg) after the victim collapsed and “was in a critical state of hypothermia, requiring urgent medical care".

“While en route to the hospital, the patient's condition rapidly deteriorated. Full resuscitation efforts were performed, but sadly, the patient was pronounced deceased upon arrival at the hospital.

“We urge the public not to underestimate the dangers of cold weather and to ensure they stay warm and safe at all times," said Robertson. 

Meanwhile, late on Saturday night, the N3 Toll Concession stated that the Van Reenen's Pass, which had been closed due to the heavy snowfall, reopened to clear traffic. 

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