Deadly floods claim two lives

The eThekwini Municipality’s Disaster Management and Emergency teams are assessing the damage caused by the severe heavy rains experienced in eThekwini last week.

Pharmacist Vanitha Jeawon, 54, a mother of twins, died when her car was swept away while she attempted to cross the low-lying Gordon Road Bridge, near Stapleton Road in Pinetown around 6.30pm on March 13, said  ALS Paramedic Medical Services spokesperson, Garrith Jamieson.

Ms Jeawon, who worked in Hillcrest, was trying to make her way home to her family in Northdene.

“Ms Jeawon contacted her husband and told him that she was swept into the river and needed help. Rescue teams were in the area but could not locate her car.  Her body and the mangled remains of her car was found by rescuers at 4am on March 14. Ms Jeawon had sustained fatal injuries and was declared deceased on the scene,” said Mr Jamieson. 

The city’s Search and Rescue team discovered a second body on Saturday morning, March 15. The body of a 21-year-old woman was found in lower Molweni, west of eThekwini.

Emergency rescue services worked tirelessly to assist affected residents, said eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana. 

“Ten people were rescued on the M19 West Bound near Reservoir Hills after their vehicles were submerged in water. The western region of eThekwini was the most affected by flooding where incidents of localised flooding, overflow of low-water bridges, collapse of structures, mudslides, and fallen trees were reported,” said Ms Sisilana.

She added that several electricity sub-stations were flooded, which the department is attending to. Although the rain was concentrated in certain areas of the city, the adverse weather conditions has resulted in several power outages in areas including Kloof, Umzinyathi, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, Avoca, oThongathi, Tshelimnyama, New Germany, Westville, and KwaDabeka among others. Repairs are underway; however, restoration may take longer than usual due to continuous rain and how widespread the outages are, said Ms Sisilana.

“A number of roads in the city have flooded and teams continue to work tirelessly, conducting road clean-ups to ensure accessibility. Affected roads include the N2, M19, M4, Umgeni Road and several roads in Pinetown. Stapleton Road remains closed until further notice. Heaton Nicholson Drive Bridge is also unstable, and city engineers are conducting an assessment while the road remains closed,” said Ms Sisilana.

Clinics in Pinetown have been affected by the adverse weather, with some of the infrastructure damaged. However, services continue to be provided to the public. As a result of damaged infrastructure, the Water and Sanitation Unit has reported extended water outages in the Inner West area. Water tankers have been deployed to affected communities.

“Some beaches in the North and South have been affected by the severe flooding and are temporarily closed until further notice. The closure is due to the flooding, which resulted in muddy water and large amounts of debris from rivers spilling into the sea,” said Ms Sisilana. “This has led to the temporary closure of some eThekwini beaches. The public will be notified when the beaches reopen. Motorists are advised to follow traffic reports and use alternative routes where possible.”

Further updates will be communicated as soon as information becomes available. The public can report emergencies on 031 361 0000 or 031 322 2966 or 031 322 2967.