Three people reported missing following heavy rain and floods in OR Tambo district
|Published
Picture: Jessie Willard Facebook
Cape Town - The OR Tambo disaster and risk management teams from Ingquza Hill Local Municipality have been dispatched to Rhole village in Lusikisiki and other surrounding areas in search of three missing people following Thursday’s heavy rainfall and floods.
This follows reports that three members of the community were missing after Thursday’s heavy rains in the district.
On Thursday, heavy downpours left many areas in the district devastated as infrastructure, houses, recreational facilities and businesses were flooded.
OR Tambo District Municipality spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane said that in Port St Johns the power outage had affected the network connection and the functionality of the Mzimvubu and Port St Johns Water Treatment Works.
“This has led to the water and sanitation treatment plants in the area to be down since Thursday,” Macingwane said.
Macingwane added that the district Infrastructure, Water & Sanitation directorate was investigating the extent of the damages. Meanwhile, a section of the R61 road not far from the Isinuka area has been washed away.
Macingwane further said that a handful of people whose houses were flooded have been accommodated at the Port St Johns (PSJ) Youth Centre and were provided with blankets and mattresses while the search of missing people continued in the district.
Gift of the Givers co-ordinator Corene Conradie said that they will assist with food, water and blankets.
Conradie said they were also waiting to hear from the disaster and risk management team about other things they can assist with in terms of searching for the missing bodies.
IOL