A young adult has died and three others were injured after a large tree fell onto several shacks in the Makausi informal settlement in Germiston, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Emergency services from the City of Ekurhuleni responded to the incident at 2.29am after receiving reports of a tree that had collapsed onto homes. Firefighters from Primrose fire station were first on the scene, with additional support from Bedfordview and Edenvale stations.
On arrival, rescue teams found that the tree had crushed multiple structures. Two young adults were trapped beneath one of the tree’s large branches.
Rescuers worked to cut through the heavy debris to reach the victims. According to emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi, one of the trapped individuals regained consciousness after being freed. The second victim, however, did not survive.
“On-scene medical treatment was initiated but was unsuccessful, and the patient was declared deceased by paramedics,” Ntladi said.
Three other people who were at the scene sustained minor injuries. They were treated and transported to a nearby medical facility for further care.
The cause of the incident has not yet been determined and will form part of an ongoing investigation.
Gauteng has been receiving a high volume of rain this week.
TimesLIVE
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