Western Cape starts mopping up after floods

Mopping up operations have started in parts of the Western Cape affected by heavy flooding, Cape Town disaster management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said on Sunday.

“The improved weather conditions now give us time to repair and clear infrastructure,” he said.

Solomons-Johannes said two sub-stations, one in the Strand and one in Somerset West, that were damaged in the floods were now being repaired so electricity could be restored to those areas.

On Saturday, he said more than 18,000 people had been affected by the floods in the province.

He said people had been evacuated from various areas and given shelter in halls.

The affected areas included Delft, Faure, Fish Hoek, Gugulethu, Hout Bay, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein, Kuils River, Macassar, Philippi, Scarborough, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Somerset West, Strand and Valhalla Park.

The flooding had caused numerous rockfalls, mudslides and landslides in mountainous areas.

On Friday, a woman died and another was missing when their car was swept away while they were trying to cross a bridge during flooding in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch.

On Friday night, 129 patients were evacuated from the Vergelegen Mediclinic in Somerset West due to flooding. They were taken to neighbouring hospitals.

In the Eastern Cape, a woman and her two daughters were swept away while trying to cross a river on Saturday, police said.

They were part of a group of nine people who were on their way to church in Tsolo.

Lt-Col Mzukisi Fatyela said they had to cross the river to get to the church.

“They entered the river and were swept away by a strong current,” he said.

The body of the 61-year-old mother was later recovered. Police divers were still searching for the two daughters.