Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has confirmed that a car-hijack incident took place near the King Shaka International Airport precinct last night (17 January) at around 23h00.

According to ACSA armed men hijacked a vehicle driven by the contracted security company after opening fire on the security guards, fatally injuring one. Initial information received confirms that a contract security vehicle was hijacked while two security officers were doing patrols.

The vehicle, riddled with bullets, has since been recovered after the hijackers abandoned it in Inanda, Durban.

ACSA CEO, Mpumi Mpofu, sent condolences to the family members and colleagues of the deceased.

““This is an unfortunate incident and losing a life as a result of such lawlessness is especially painful. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of the deceased. We will also be working very closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and all security agencies operating at the airport to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book. The safety of our passengers and staff is always a priority. There are no interruptions to our operations.”

ACSA has said it will not release any further information until when appropriate so that it wont compromise the ongoing investigation.