At least three people have been confirmed dead and seventy others seriously injured following a bus crash in Chatsworth, Durban.

Paramedics from the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health and local emergency services rushed in to rescue some of the survivors who were still trapped in the wreckage.

According to the EMS spokesperson Robert Mckenzie, hydraulic rescue tools were used to free them from the overturned wreckage.

The presence of a high number of injured passengers called for an emergency helicopter that was dispatched to help transport the casualties to various hospitals in the eThekwini area.

“Rescue workers on the scene indicated that at least three people have been killed and four are in critical condition. Others had minor injuries and left the scene privately,” added Mckenzie.

The accident is said to have occurred after the bus overturned and crashed down an embankment on the Higginson Highway in Chatsworth.