DURBAN, 10 October (ANA) – A policeman died and another had to be extricated when a container struck their vehicle during a massive storm that lashed Durban on Tuesday morning.
“In the Bayhead area, a container fell onto a police vehicle, killing the policeman inside. A second policeman had to be extricated from the vehicle,” according to Rescue Care’s Garrith Jamieson.
Emergency services and authorities were left reeling after pounding rains, hail and winds of up to 90km per hour hit the metro, collapsing roofs, flooding highways and leaving dozens submerged in vehicles, prompting the City to issue a warning to residents to stay indoors.
The metro reported that a river had broken its banks near the N2 southbound, washing vehicles away on the N2, and that sinkholes had been reported.
Dozens of large trees had been uprooted in the suburbs, shattering through windows and falling onto buildings and cars. Residents could be seen hauling buckets of water from their flats.
Large parts of the city were still without electricity by 3pm on Tuesday. The municipality said it was monitoring the possibility of more rain from 3pm onwards.
Jamieson said that paramedics had been kept “extremely busy” in the south of Durban, particularly the Amanzimtoti area.
“Firstly, they responded to a taxi that was stuck in a ditch, leaning to the side, with rising water levels on the N2 northbound opposite the Galleria mall. Three people had to be assisted from the taxi,” said Jamieson.
On the M7 before South Coast road, paramedics Ceron Lennox and Ian Wessels and fireman Justin Bateman rescued three people from a bus on the flooded road, he said. The water had risen to just below the bus windows.
Provincial health department spokesperson, Sam Mkhwanazi, said the heavy rains adversely affected five hospitals in the area. King Edward, Addington, King Dinuzulu and Wenworth and Prince Mshiyeni Memorial hospitals had borne the brunt of the storm, he said.
Reports had been received that a part of the roof at uMlazi’s Prince Mshiyeni hospital had collapsed, but this could not be confirmed by the time of publication.
eThekwini communications head, Tozi Mthethwa, said that residents were cautioned against driving or walking anywhere for the duration of the storm. “The current wind has been measured at 70 kilometres per hour and is extremely dangerous,” she said.
As many as 300 schools in KwaZulu-Natal had been affected by the weather and forced to close.
– African News Agency (ANA)
