The devastating flood tragedy in KwaZulu-Natal has claimed the lives of five people, with one person still missing, after a bakkie was swept off a bridge in Msinga. The confirmed death toll has risen to five following the recovery of another body on Sunday, highlighting the ongoing impact of this devastating event. The loss of lives stemmed from heavy rain that fell in the area, resulting in a bakkie transporting eight occupants being swept away while attempting to cross the low-lying Mfenebude bridge on the P17 in eNadi, eMabovini on Thursday evening.
Two people managed to escape and reach safety; six others were carried away by the floodwaters. On Friday, search and rescue teams recovered the bodies of two women. The first was located in the iNadi River and the second in the uThukela River in the Nkandla Local Municipality. One of the victims was pregnant. According to the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, disaster management teams have deployed drones to assist in searching inaccessible areas along the rivers feeding into the uThukela River.
Flood Relief Efforts
The KZN Provincial Disaster Management Centre is managing the operation, which involves a team including the SAPS Search and Rescue unit and Disaster Management teams from the Msinga and uMvoti local municipalities. The department, in collaboration with the Msinga Local Municipality, has provided essential support and has remained in constant contact with the families who have suffered losses. Disaster relief teams are expected to remain active at the site until the last missing person has been located.
Search and Rescue Operations
Rescue teams continue their search efforts along the banks of the uThukela River, where multiple victims were swept away during the flood. The search and recovery operation continued on Monday for the one remaining missing person. The ages of the victims range from 25 to 40. A list of the support services provided by the department includes:
- Deployment of drones to search inaccessible areas
- Provision of essential support to affected families
- Collaboration with local municipalities to provide relief services
The KZN Provincial Disaster Management Centre has praised the search and rescue teams for their professionalism and commitment. The centre has also offered condolences to the grieving families during this difficult time. As the search and rescue operations continue, the community remains hopeful that the last missing person will be found soon.
