19/07/2025
Boy (14) dies in tragic scrap yard accident
Dwaalboom – A community is in mourning following the devastating death of a 14-year-old boy, tragically killed while playing in a scrap yard on a farm along the Dwaalboom road.
On Friday, 11 July 2025 at 11:55, Thaba Fire and Rescue (TFR) received an urgent call about a child trapped beneath a large piece of steel. The incident occurred approximately 31km out on the Dwaalboom road, at a farm where children had been playing in a scrapyard.
When TFR teams arrived, the scene was heartbreaking. “By the time our team got there, the child had already passed away,” said Pierre Loots, director of TFR. “The steel ring that fell on him is estimated to weigh about three tonnes.”
Emergency crews worked with great care and urgency, using a forklift and chain block to lift the massive steel ring and recover the boy’s body.
Loots expressed his sorrow and solidarity with the grieving family. “From all of us at TFR, our deepest sympathy and strength to the family. This was a heartbreaking scene,” he said.
In addition to TFR, the South African Police Service, State Ambulance Services, Pathology Unit, and Forensics Team were all present at the scene and are continuing their investigations.
Photo: The three-tonne steel ring involved in the tragic accident that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy
100M Followers
Mokgalwaneng News