Roof of Rosebank hotel collapses after Joburg hailstorm, guests evacuated

Guests were evacuated after the Southern Sun hotel in Rosebank sustained partial storm damage on Monday.

The roof above the hotel restaurant collapsed under a sudden build-up of ice and water from the storm.

The hotel said emergency services were quickly on the scene to secure the area.

“No serious injuries were reported and guests were evacuated and relocated to Southern Sun’s hotels nearby. The hotel is closed for an evaluation and repair and affected reservations are being transferred to the group’s other hotels,” said head of marketing Candy Tothill.

In Midrand, several cars lost their windscreens when hailstones as big as golf balls pounded unsheltered vehicles. 

Johannesburg emergency services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said some households were flooded in Marlboro.

“We managed to assist families to drain water in the area with the [help of the] community. There was also one incident in Soweto where a lady fell into a drain. The lady was assisted by our paramedics from Gauteng EMS and she was transported to a healthcare facility,” he said.

No fatalities or injuries were reported due to the hail storm.

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