Frenzied crowd hacks cattle after truck overturns

Johannesburg - A crowd of people tried to hack meat off cattle after a trailer they were being transported in overturned on the N1 in Gauteng, South Africa, the NSPCA said on Wednesday.

"With knives and buckets, the mob was chasing cattle that had managed to release themselves from the vehicle, some of which had injuries including broken legs. Their intention was to hack meat from the living animals," the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said in a statement.

"Some animals were unable to escape and were stolen or slaughtered by the frenzied crowd."

The driver allegedly lost control of the truck near the Grasmere toll plaza around 17:00 on Tuesday after rocks were thrown at his vehicle from a bridge.

The NSPCA, police, fire and rescue units, and the traffic department worked to clear the road, control the crowd, and free trapped cattle using the Jaws of Life.

Some of the cattle who were "beyond salvation" were slaughtered on the scene.