KOMATIPOORT – Hundreds of residents could only watch in shock and horror as hailstones the size of golf balls pelted down during a severe storm on Friday night.
Dozens of cars and buildings in Komatipoort were damaged by the hail, including the police station.
The electricity supply was affected and municipal employees worked around the clock to repair it.
Naas, Kamaqhekeza and Shongwe were also hit by the storm, with severe winds tearing off roofs.
Several houses collapsed and over a hundred houses’ roofs were blown off. Businesses such as Cashbuild in Naas were also affected, with part of the building collapsing.
Shongwe Hospital was one of the worst-hit facilities and patients from the labour and pediatric wards had to be moved to other wards and, in some cases, Tonga Hospital.
According to Cyril Ripinga, spokesperson for the Nkomazi Local Municipality, one person died and three others were injured and hospitalized during the storm.
Farmers in the affected areas were also hit hard, with one losing about 10 000 chickens. Several hectares of produce such as bananas heavily damaged by hail.
The municipality and other government departments were quick to assess the damage and help affected families with shelter and food.
Marloth Park and Malelane were not severely affected by the storm, damage being limited to broken branches.
Read more about the estimated damage and relief efforts in Thursday’s issue.
