A 39-year-old woman was killed in a structural collapse during a storm that swept through oThongathi, commonly known as Tongaat, on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.
On Monday afternoon, emergency workers had their hands full with hail, storms and what appears to be a tornado in Tongaat.
There were several infrastructure damage with fallen trees.
According to Prem Balram from Reaction Unit South Africa their members were called out to a residence on Rama Drive after a wall collapsed on a woman.
“On arrival, Reaction Officers cleared the debris and retrieved the woman’s body. She sustained life threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased.”
In another incident also in Sandfields, Balram said a 16-month-old toddler was killed and her twin sister seriously injured after a wall collapsed at their home in Zondi Street during the storms.
“On arrival, Reaction Officers discovered that a lounge wall collapsed and crushed both children and their mother. Residents removed the injured from the rubble. One child suffered life threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Balram said the surviving twin and her mother were rushed to hospital by ambulance.
The death toll from the devastation was five.
On Thursday, the South African Weather Services issued a level 4 weather warning for heavy rainfall and possible flooding.
Speaking to IOL shortly after the circulation of video that appeared to be a tornado.
Lehlohonolo Thobela, Saws meteorologist and weather forecaster told IOL:
“We currently have an upper air, cut off low with the system which is currently positioned over South Africa, now the system is associated with strong wind share and this may also drive the development of cold season, winter storm, which may become severe, like in this case a tornado.”
IOL News