Flooding and driving rain has forced the closure of the N2 freeway near Amanzimtoti as KwaZulu-Natal braces for severe weather on Tuesday.
Occupants of a minibus taxi that was stricken by rising water on the freeway were rescued by paramedics on Tuesday morning.
Rescuecare spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said that medics had rushed to the scene to find the fully laden minibus listing to one side.
“The taxi had been driving through the rising waters when it got stuck. Paramedics helped the occupants of the taxi to safety. The road has been completely closed‚” he said.
Paramedics also responded to a call in Kingsway Road‚ where gushing water had entrapped occupants of a house. The occupants were safely rescued.
This follows a night of heavy rain with rivers in Pietermaritzburg and Durban breaking their banks.
Police search and rescue technicians were called to the Madiba low-level bridge in Sobantu outside Pietermaritzburg after a man was swept away by the water.
The officers‚ with the aid of a sniffer dog‚ searched the banks of the river but were unable to find the man. The search was halted by an approaching storm and diminishing light and is expected to resume when it is safe.
City engineers from the eThekwini Municipality are also assessing damage at various locations.
Police search and rescue emergency workers are en route to the Prince Mshyeni hospital in Umlazi after a call that part of roof has collapsed.
This is a developing story.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.