Weather permitting, search to resume for victims of Jukskei River baptism tragedy

06 December 2022 - 07:50
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A rescue team combs the Jukskei River for the bodies of congregants who lost their lives during a baptism ceremony.. File photo.
A rescue team combs the Jukskei River for the bodies of congregants who lost their lives during a baptism ceremony.. File photo.
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

The search for missing church members swept away by flood waters in the Jukskei River in Johannesburg on Saturday  is expected to continue on Tuesday morning if the weather permits.

The death toll of people swept away during a baptism ceremony after a flash flood currently stands at 14, with the youngest victim being a three-month-old baby and the eldest a 60-year-old woman.

On Monday, the search had to be called off due to bad weather, including a hailstorm.

Spokesperson for Johannesburg's emergency services Robert Mulaudzi said three people were believed to still be missing, but the number could be higher.

“The problem is that there was no register on who attended the ceremony, so we don’t really have the exact number of people who were part of the ceremony,” Mulaudzi said.

He told TimesLIVE the search was expected to resume on Tuesday morning.

TimesLIVE

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