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Seven Dead, Four Missing As Destructive Floods Cause Chaos Across Nelson Mandela Bay [Videos]
03 Jun 2024 by Heinrich in Disaster, Environment, Global Warming, Lifestyle, Natural Disasters, South Africa, Weather
[imagesource:giftofthegivers/facebook]
Seven people have been confirmed dead, and six more are still missing after nearly 200mm of rain fell in some parts of the Nelson Mandela Bay district on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
A man and a baby girl drowned and about 70 people had to be rescued in Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) as parts of the town were hit by flash floods.
The NSRI came to the rescue, launching 55 operations as stormy weather lashed the area, spokesperson Craig Lambinon adding: “At least up to 70 persons have been safely removed to various mustering points and rescue operations were ongoing.”
Lambinon said their teams were activated during heavy rain at about 11 PM on Saturday. A number of rescue operations had recovered people safely from buildings, residences and vehicles.
“In one incident at around 3 AM, a SMHART security officer reported a vehicle with six persons trapped in the flooded Brak River, Rocklands. One man was recovered safely from an island that had formed in the river, an adult female had been swept away and is missing, and the remaining four of these six people were recovered safely on the southern side of the river.”
#ICYMI The death toll in the flooding that hit the Nelson Mandela Bay metro in the Eastern Cape overnight has risen to seven while four people are still missing. https://t.co/WVfv3XG8Eh
— SABC News (@SABCNews) June 3, 2024
In East London, NSRI East London, in cooperation with the TNPA Port of East London Port Control, was assisting on the Buffalo River after several jetties sank or were washed away and boats broke their moorings.
At the Port of Port Elizabeth, NSRI Gqeberha, in cooperation with the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of Port Elizabeth Port Control, was assessing reports of vessels breaking their moorings. The fire station at Kariega was also flooded and extensively damaged.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman of the disaster relief group Gift of the Givers said on Sunday morning that the Buffalo City mayor and Disaster Management, Nelson Mandela Bay Fire Station and Disaster Management, and Kariega Disaster Management have been in communication with the group from Saturday night and in the early hours of Sunday to help.
“Infrastructure damage, loss of life, missing and injured people, a fire station submerged, vehicles washed away, multiple areas affected in these regions and the Baakens River in danger of bursting its banks with major risk to low-lying houses are the immediate challenges.”
The metro was also hit with extensive power outages in 21 areas, with teams battling to affect repairs owing to ongoing severe weather. Nelson Mandela Bay metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said several roads are closed in the metro. Residents of Blue Horizon Bay had been cut off from their access road.
View this post on InstagramIn Kariega, six major access roads had been closed. In Kwanobuhle, a part of Matanzima Road had collapsed. A taxi had fallen into the collapsed section and the occupants had to be rescued.
“Emergency services have been working throughout the night and are still working and searching to assist people affected by the flooding,” Soyaya said.
The head of the metro police in Nelson Mandela Bay, Andrew Moses, said their officers were working tirelessly. “There is flooding in Kariega. Roads are dangerous to pass,” Moses said. These included the major R75 road and the Graaff-Reinet Road. He asked the public not to try to cross waterlogged roads.
Henry Landsdowne from Disaster Management in Nelson Mandela Bay said there was severe flooding in Kariega throughout the night.
“Reports from the South African Weather Service are that the current conditions will continue, with more heavy rains expected.”
Image: giftofthegivers/facebook]
Image: giftofthegivers/facebook]
In St Francis Bay, Zwelitsha has seen several homes flooded. Affected residents will be relocated to the community hall for safety. Flooding has also affected other areas in St Francis Bay, including Tarragona Road.
In Aston Bay, Shearwater Drive and parts of Dolphin Drive are completely submerged, with water levels at houses in some places reaching up to window height. Jeffreys Bay is also experiencing significant flooding, particularly in Pellsrus and parts of Da Gama Road. Tjoksville in Thornhill has reported a few flooded houses, with affected residents to be moved to the community hall. The municipality said in a statement issued on Sunday that its priority was to move affected residents to community halls.
By Sunday night, Gift of the Givers teams had handed out 1,000 blankets and served meals to residents affected by the floods.
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