** 2 South African medics kidnapped; ambulance ransacked
SOUTH AFRICA NEWS
** A pair of Mpumalanga EMS medics were kidnapped Sunday after responding to a bogus call for a woman in labour. That is the word from The South African (Nthabiseng Madumo/May 16) which said the 9:30 p.m. call played out at a farm in Belfast. According to the news site, two balaclava clad men intercepted the ambulance en route, tying the medics up with cable ties while they ransacked the unit. The EMS rig was then driven to a second location where five other suspects joined in stripping the vehicle of its gearbox, engine, tires, and battery. Cell phones taken from the crew at the beginning of the call were returned and the robbers left the scene. Police have now begun a manhunt for the suspects. A public hail for relevant information has also been issued. No one was injured in the incident. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at about R300,000.
