KZN floods claim more victims

Three bodies were discovered in a car on the N11 in the flood-hit town of Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

In a separate incident, a person from Ezakheni township was reported to have drowned while swimming with his friends.

This was confirmed by provincial co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi on Sunday.

“It is suspected that a car had gone missing from the Bergville area on December 31. Further investigations are under way,” said Sithole-Moloi.

Meanwhile, another drowning incident is reported to have occurred in the eNhlanhleni area of Bulwer in the Harry Gwala district municipality.

“Disaster teams continue to offer assistance to all those affected,” said Sithole.

As the heavy downpours continued to wreak havoc in other parts of the province, members of community emergency response teams together with IPSS search and rescue and members of uMhlali K9 were kept busy on Saturday night.

Cert-SA spokesperson Riza Sadack said in Tongaat multiple calls were received about people trapped in flooded homes.

“Three people were stranded at a post office which had been engulfed by water. Two other people were trapped in a trees and one on top of a wall. Services worked together to also free some at pensioner homes,’’ Sadack said.

Residents are urged to avoid rivers and low-lying bridges.

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