Welkom fire station, schools and businesses damaged in Sunday 'tornado'

Storms left a trail of destruction in Welkom, Free State, on Sunday, with the Matjhabeng local municipality reporting significant damage to schools, businesses and homes. 

A wind funnel similar to a tornado ripped through Welkom on Sunday afternoon and the worst hit facilities include the Welkom fire station, HTS School, Unitas School and several businesses and residential properties, according to local news reports. 

Emergency response teams have been dispatched to assess the extent of the damage and provide urgent relief where necessary. 

“In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, we are prioritising the restoration of essential services and infrastructure, with a focus on the fire station and affected schools,” said Welkom municipality spokesperson Tshediso Tlali. 

He urged residents who had suffered damage to report the incidents to their ward councillors if they were in need of support.  

Disruptive rain and flooding are expected along the KwaZulu-Natal coast on Monday. 

An orange level 6 warning for disruptive rain was also issued for most parts of KwaZulu-Natal, except in the southwest. 

The Free State, North West, extreme southeastern parts of the Eastern Cape, northeastern parts of Mpumalanga and parts of Limpopo are also expected to experience disruptive rain, with a yellow level 2 warning issued.

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