By Anita Dangazele
More than one thousand people have been displaced, and seven confirmed dead after heavy rain and flooding in Nelson Mandela Bay this weekend.
Saturday night’s heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across the metro leading to the destruction of hundreds of homes, including businesses in the Kariega CBD.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said several areas experienced water and electricity outages on Sunday due to the bad weather.
“Our teams are working around the clock to identify and resolve the issues as quickly as possible. However, due to the ongoing storms, we anticipate a significant number of additional power outages over coming days.
“KwaNobuhle is also affected by water outages due to the KwaNobuhle trunk pipe being damaged by the flood at Bucwa street, affecting 75% of KwaNobuhle. Teams are currently working to restore the water supply. In the interim, water trucks are being mobilised to provide water to residents.”
He said the municipality had to relocate and evacuate 1,100 residents from several informal settlements around the metro on Sunday as heavy rain flooded roads and damaged homes.
Soyaya also confirmed that seven people lost their lives to the floods in several areas of the city.
NMBM mayor Gary van Niekerk said the rising number of fatalities was especially concerning as the downpours were expected to continue overnight.
“The search for missing residents, related to the severe weather conditions, are still continuing. In those cases, we are hoping for the best but persistent rainfall will make the work of our emergency teams even more difficult,” Van Niekerk said.
Among those who died are three females and four males including a four-year-old girl and a police constable, identified as Elroy May, 39, who was a member of the Anti-Gang Unit in Gqeberha. He was a passenger in a police vehicle when it overturned on a wet road on Saturday night.
Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said: “According to a witness, the driver of the state vehicle lost control, rolled against the embankment and then landed on its roof. Constable May died on the scene.”
The Gift of the Givers stepped in to assist following the storm.
The organisation’s founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, said they were in communication with Nelson Mandela Bay Fire Station and Disaster Management, and Kariega Disaster Management, to assist.
Sooliman said their teams in East London would also be activated as the heavy downpours are expected to continue.
“Infrastructure damage, loss of life, missing and injured people, a submerged fire station, 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,” he said.
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has cautioned residents to remain indoors and avoid exposure to the weather.
Pictured above: A home flooded by torrential rains in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Image source: Supplied
