Joburg EMS searching for man swept away in floods

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) are conducting a search for man who was swept away by raging floods in the south of Johannesburg.

This comes after heavy downpours caused flooding in Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West.

National disaster

The countrywide flooding was on Monday declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the National Disaster Management Centre has, in terms of Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, classified the impact of current, above-normal rainfall in various parts of the country – with Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape as the most affected – as a national disaster.

Man swept away

Joburg Emergency Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said the man was swept away in Diepsloot.

“We have received news from our call center that an unidentified male was swept away by water in a stream around Diepsloot yesterday morning. We will share more when information does become available.”

Joburg Emergency Services has also warned people about taking precaution when conducting religious rituals at river streams.

“Worshippers are advised to be extremely cautious when worshiping at rivers. It poses great danger (drowning) especially when it is raining.”

ALSO READ: Government declares national state of disaster over widespread floods

Lucky escape

Meanwhile, Tshwane Emergency Services said a man and two teenagers had a lucky escape after their vehicle was washed off the End Avenue Bridge into the river.

Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the driver of the SUV apparently drove around the barricades used to close the road.

“This has been the second incident in the same area, in less than two days. An Isuzu bakkie, which has still not been recovered from the Hennops River, was washed away on Saturday.

“Under the command of the SAPS K9 and Diving Unit and subject to safe conditions, the Emergency Services Department will resume the search for about five people who were reported to the Gauteng Emergency Medical Services as being swept away at a stream in Olievenhoutbosch on Saturday,” Mabaso said.

ALSO READ: 20 killed, 68 injured after tour bus crashes head-on with CIT van in Limpopo