Panicked screams by Adams Mission mother Sphindile Mhlongo alerting her son, daughter and niece was all she could offer to protect them from being swallowed up by a mudslide that tore through their home at 3am on Thursday.
Her screams were soon lost, together with her husband Mlungisi's voice, when streams of water and mud brought the three-bedroomed home crashing down on them.
Her son Melusi, 14, managed to grab his sister Ntwentle, 7, and cousin Ezekhethelo Dube, 10, and escape the collapse that left them destitute.
Mhlongo's sister Phumlile Sithole, who lives in Mandeni on the KZN north coast, said she received a grim call informing her of her family's horrific experience in Adams Mission, south of Durban.
“I initially got a call about 4am, but since my phone was on vibrate I only found out at 6am,” said Sithole.
She said she was relieved her daughter Ezekhethelo was saved but was heartbroken to hear of her sister and brother-in-law's fate.
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The couple were among six people who lost their lives during the heavy downpour that started on Wednesday night.
The South African Weather Service issued an orange level 5 disruptive rainfall warning for KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, forcing emergency services and search and rescue teams into action.
eThekwini municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the Adams Mission couple was among the latest fatalities
“The team worked through the night to aid the trapped victims. Unfortunately, four other people died including a 45-year-old male in KwaMakhutha, a 13-year-old male in Folweni, a 12-year-old female in Demat and a 13-year-old female in Ensimbini.”
According to the early warning system, 184mm of rain was reported in the Amanzimtoti area between midnight and 5am on Thursday.
Most of the flooding was recorded in areas south of the city, including Amanzimtoti, Moorton, Clairwood and Isipingo.
Sithole said the trip from Mandeni to Adams Mission in the heavy downpour was nerve-racking.
“We had to get a vehicle to take us there as soon as possible because public transport was going to delay us,” said Sithole.
Sibiya said the incident had taken a heavy toll on Mesuli, who was at a loss for words.
“He is quiet and there is nothing you can get out of him. He is generally a reserved and a quiet boy by nature,” said Sithole.
The children had been taken to a relative's home nearby while search and rescue teams attempted to recover the bodies.
When TimesLIVE Premium arrived on the scene, the couple's two other children were being comforted by elders while a sniffer dog tried to establish where the bodies were buried.
Puddles of mud marked the pathway leading to the collapsed house and intermittently load wails from family members could be heard.
Sithole said when she arrived in Adams Mission crowds of community members had gathered, some with muddied clothes which bore testimony to their failed efforts to save their neighbours.
“I saw the extensive damage to the house. But for some reason I was hoping maybe by an off chance they will still be alive. But it was not to be,” said Sithole.
“When I got here I spotted rescue workers hard at work while the TLB was working through the rubble,” said Sibiya.
She said her brother-in-law's family was grieving after Mlungisi's brother was gunned down.
“It’s painful because the family was left reeling. Now there is only one surviving brother,” said Sithole.
She said they were blessed to have shared the life with the couple.
“My sister was kind and the eldest in our family. She was strong and hardworking. You could never tell her anything about business. My brother-in-law was a caring husband who ensured his family was well taken care of,” said Sithole.
Funeral arrangements had not been finalised as the family will have to wait for direction from the Mhlongo family. “The mother-in-law will have to decide,” said Sithole.
The self-employed couple who made a living running a small tuck shop are parents to four children, two of whom are UKZN students while the younger two are school-going age.
Abigail Sithole said the three-bedroom property was built in 2012 and the Mhlongos started living there about 10 years ago.
“The house belongs to my daughter, a schoolteacher in Northern KZN. She had built the house with an intention settling in it once she reaches retirement age,” said Sithole.
She said her daughter had not taken this disaster well.
“The house is nothing, what pains us is the loss of a life,” added Sithole.
She added: “We are shocked and baffled. We have had bad rains in the past but not to this extent. I remember this one time the water came through to the garage and that was bad. But we got a TLB which dug a hole for the water to go through. But other then that there has never been something this bad,” said Sithole.
She said she was saddened by the tragic incident, saying the couple were good people.
Ward 94 councillor Lihle Makhanya vowed to engage the traditional leadership to help the destitute family.
“Ours as government is to provide services ... the land itself belongs to the traditional council. We have to engage them to see if there is any land our leaders can provide ,” said Makhanya.
“I am concerned for neighbours around this house. The sand here is very loose, so I don’t think it will be a good thing to rebuild the house here,” said Makhanya.
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