Slush Pile: Dangerous scrap metal

2007 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Dangerous scrap metal

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Close call: One man was killed and 11 others injured when a scrap dealer threw a live mortar round onto concrete in Pretoria. Photo: Phill Magakoe, Pretoria News

Dangerous toys: Police explosives unit members gather mortar shells at a scrap dealership in Pretoria. Photo: Liza van Deventer, Pretoria News

'I was full of holes'

May 31 2007 at 04:44AM

By Barry Bateman

"I was full of holes and blood was spurting out of them. I put my fingers in the holes to stop the bleeding," said Johan Pieterse, in hospital after he was injured in a mortar blast at a scrapyard north of Pretoria.

One man was killed and 11 people injured on Wednesday when a scrap dealer threw a live mortar round onto concrete to "prove" to prospective buyers that the rounds were disarmed and harmless.

The explosion led to shrapnel ripping through the bodies of those standing nearby, puncturing their flesh and burning them. The dead man, known at this stage only as Johannes, was hit in the neck by a piece of shrapnel and bled to death within minutes.

'Koos said they were safe and then threw one of them'

The victims were taken to Pretoria Academic, Montana and George Mukhari hospitals.

Pieterse, his wife Charlotte and stepson Hennie Pretorius were at Koos van der Merwe's scrap dealership at Plot 84 on the corner of Rentia Street and Soutpan Road in Bon Accord. Charlotte said from Pretoria Academic Hospital that she remembered seeing workers at the dealership emptying out a bag of mortars. "I asked how safe they were. Koos said they were safe and then threw one of them. It went off.

"It was a strange feeling. I was confused and my ears were ringing. I thought I was paralysed because I couldn't feel my legs," she said.

Pieterse said he could not remember anything except that he was there to buy scrap aluminium. "When I came to I was on the floor. I saw that my pants were soaked in blood so I took them off and saw that I was full of holes," he said, showing his pants that were splattered with bits of his flesh.

"Someone said call an ambulance but we couldn't wait because the blood was spurting out everywhere. We got into a bakkie and a man took us to hospital," he said.

'I was confused, I didn't know what was happening'

Pretorius said he woke up on the floor. "I was confused, I didn't know what was happening. I saw that my parents were getting into a bakkie so I got in with them," he said, writhing in pain from the puncture wounds all over his body.

In one of the holes in his leg, a piece of shrapnel could be seen.

Van der Merwe is recovering in Montana Hospital. Mpnhi Masnqa said he was standing at the nearby shop when he heard a loud bang. "I got a fright and ran to where I saw the people lying around. There was a lot of blood and they were calling out for an ambulance.

"I put a cloth on the neck of one of the men, but he died. A bakkie arrived and took the injured to hospital. The ambulance came later."

Louis Blom said he was sitting in his bakkie near the store listening to the radio when he heard a "hell of a bang".

"There were shattered people all over the place and a lot of blood.

"I loaded them into the bakkie and took them to hospital.

"Some of the men said that Koos was showing the buyers the mortar rounds. They questioned whether the rounds were safe.

"Koos threw one of the rounds to show that it was harmless, but it exploded," Blom said.

Netcare 911 paramedic Wynand Pretorius said he was first to arrive on the scene. "I initially responded to a gas bottle explosion. But when I arrived on the scene I noticed the mortar shells.

"I declared one man dead and cleared the other patients from the area," he said.

Pretorius said there were 11 patients who sustained blast injuries, and cuts and burns to their bodies.

A man who did not want to be identified claimed that Van der Merwe told him that he got the rounds from a military testing range. He said that Van der Merwe had a number of the rounds stored on his property and he sold them to scrap dealers who recycled them.

Police spokesperson Captain Lucas Sithole said a forensic and explosives unit had combed the scene. Police had opened an inquest docket and could not speculate on the origin of the explosives.

A member of the explosives unit said the explosives were probably picked up on a military testing ground and brought to the city to be sold as scrap. He said that the seller probably did not realise that the rounds were still live.

The head of a mortar round was made of aluminium and was sold as scrap, he said.

This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on May 31, 2007

Submitted on 06/18/2007

Submitted by: AJ
Reference: www.iol.co.za

>> Moderator Scores <<

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
A horrid story! I must vote to reject this as 11 bystanders were injured. Thanks for sending it though, AJ

James said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
Alas, I must invoke the bystanders hurt rule and toss this. Thanks just the same, AJ!

The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects

Home Rules FAQs Awards Slush Site Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend

2007 Slush Pile

Dangerous scrap metal

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance