Three fatalities reported as severe flooding struck Amanzimtoti and Margate
A grim scene at Longacres Drive in Amanzimtoti, where search and rescue teams located the wreckage of a vehicle overwhelmed by Sunday night’s flash floods.
Image: ALS Paramedics
The death toll after the heavy rains in parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday has risen to three.
This after the recovery of two bodies of the three people who were reported missing when the vehicle in which they travelled in got washed away while crossing a low-level bridge on Longacres Drive, Amanzimtoti, on Sunday.
Search and rescue teams recovered the two bodies on Monday from the local eManzimtoti River.
Hardest hit by the extreme weather conditions on Sunday were towns on the Lower South Coast of Kwazulu-Natal, places like Margate, Shelley Beach and Port Shepstone.
According to Garrith Jamieson, managing director of ALS Paramedics, the first body recovered was believed to be that of the 25-year-old driver, who was declared deceased by advanced life support paramedics.
The death toll has risen to three, following the recovery of two bodies of the three people who were reported missing after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away while crossing a low-level bridge on Longacres Drive, Amanzimtoti on Sunday. Search and rescue teams in Amanzimtoti recovered the two bodies on Monday, after they were sucked into the local eManzimtoti River, which was impacted by the heavy downpours that occurred on Sunday. Hardest hit by the extreme weather conditions on Sunday were towns on the Lower South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, places like Margate, Shelley Beach, and Port Shepstone. The heavy rains impacted local infrastructure in these areas, including flooding of homes and businesses, and it also triggered a mudslide that claimed the life of a 63-year-old resident of Embomvini.
The Ugu District Municipality issued a statement warning motorists to avoid travelling to the Lower South Coast if possible. “We can confirm that one person died after her house collapsed in Embomvini. Residents and motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and delay road trips where possible, as adverse weather conditions are expected to persist until midnight tonight (Monday),” the statement read.
According to Garrith Jamieson, managing director of ALS Paramedics, the first body recovered was believed to be that of the 25-year-old driver, who was declared deceased by advanced life support paramedics. “A second body has just been located (Monday), and search and rescue teams will proceed to recover it,” said Jamieson. Preliminary information suggested that three males were reported missing after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away during heavy rain on Longacres Drive. The vehicle had five occupants, two of whom managed to escape after it was washed off a low-level bridge. Family members confirmed that the five males were on their way home around midnight when the incident occurred.
In response to the damage caused by heavy rains, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli conducted an oversight visit to the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality to assess the impact of the storm and to console affected families. The premier also visited Margate, the area hardest hit in the Ugu District, where he conveyed condolences to the Cele family of Bhomela, Ward 24. Ntuli said that the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality would need to submit a new funding application to repair damaged infrastructure, as the heavy rains struck at a time when the entity was on the verge of completing repairs that were required after the April floods. “Engineers will need to come on board so that they can advise on what must be done for the future,” said Ntuli. He said that several businesses were also affected, as well as the local water infrastructure. The Premier said the three hardest-hit businesses remain closed due to extensive damages that were inflicted.
DAILY NEWS