Robbers ambushed the vehicle near to Cape Town International Airport as it made its way to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, less than 15 minutes away.

Metro EMS spokesperson Robert Daniels told South Africa's Eyewitness News:

The crew was gun pointed and robbed, and the ambulance was left immobile. Unfortunately, the eight-year-old patient passed away due to the delay caused by the robbery.”

This is the latest in a string of attacks on ambulances in the city.

A spokesman told Independent Online earlier this year that 32 ambulances had been attacked, leading to 15 separate areas being marked as "red zones" - areas where ambulances could not go without a police escort.