Mall, hospital and garage damaged by tornado

26 July 2016 - 20:09 By Roxanne Henderson

A mall, a hospital and a garage have sustained damage after a tornado struck the City of Ekurhuleni on Tuesday afternoon.Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Captain Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago said that a "very strong tornado" passed through Thembisa at 4pm on Tuesday afternoon and that three places were affected - Phumulani Mall in Winnie Mandela section‚ Thembisa Hospital and a Total garage‚ both in Hospital View.Tornado-hit Ekurhuleni ready to declare disasterThe City of Ekurhuleni has dispersed its metro police‚ safety officers and emergency personnel in response to the tornado which battered the country’s manufacturing hub on Tuesday afternoon. Kgasago said two people had suffered minor injuries at Phumulani Mall‚ where the roof was ripped off‚ and that the mall has been evacuated.The Gauteng Health Department said there no injuries reported at the hospital. The hospital’s fence‚ carports‚ about 20 vehicles belonging to employees‚ including three ambulances‚ the roof of one building had been destroyed. Trees were also uprooted.Watch: Second tornado wreaks havoc in Gauteng - reportsA tornado has been spotted in the East of Johannesburg near OR Tambo International airport - the second that has appeared in Gauteng in 24 hours.  “The hospital is currently attending to people who were injured at the detroyed Phumulani Mall in Tembisa‚ about 20 people have been transferred to the hospital. We have dispatched ambulances from neighbouring areas to assist the hospital accordingly. Earlier‚ Ekurhuleni mayoral spokesperson Zweli Dlamini told TMG Digital t the city had already dispersed all is personnel following an alert issued by the SA Weather Service.Dlamini said the teams‚ which include metro police‚ disaster management and emergency services would provide information to the city‚ which will then decide whether to declare disaster status in Thembisa...

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