A reefer truck, which is a refrigerated vehicle, collided with multiple vehicles and ultimately overturned in the heart of Cape Town’s Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday.
What caused the reefer truck to overturn in Cape Town CBD?
The outcome of this accident was a street scattered with boxes of frozen fish mince, prompting the city’s fire and rescue department to respond swiftly to the scene, located on Kloof Street.
The accident, which brought a significant portion of the CBD to a standstill, was described by the city’s safety and security MMC JP Smith as follows:
“A heavy-duty articulated vehicle lost control and collided with several passenger vehicles before overturning.”
Smith also emphasised that all necessary emergency services were actively engaged at the scene.
Motorists and pedestrians alike were urged to exercise caution and seek alternative routes to avoid the area until the accident site could be safely cleared.
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Cape Town – Kloof Nek Road: #TruckCrash at Tamboerskloof pic.twitter.com/JahJDbE49n
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) September 12, 2023
The term “reefer” may raise some eyebrows, but it’s simply an abbreviation for “refrigerator.”
In the context of transportation, it is used to describe refrigerated trucks, also known as reefer trucks, which are designed for the transportation of temperature-sensitive cargo.
Reefer trucks are equipped with specialised refrigeration units at one end of the container. When connected to a power source, these units fill the container with chilled air.
This controlled airflow helps maintain the desired temperature within the container, making it ideal for the transportation of various temperature-sensitive goods, including food items, pharmaceuticals, plants, and more.
Accidents involving these trucks, while not common, can have significant consequences, especially when they transport perishable cargo.
Thankfully, in the immediate aftermath, there were no reports of injuries stemming from this unsettling incident.