14:30

The Limpopo Department of Health have confirmed that services at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital have returned to normal following Wednesday’s floods.

POLOKWANE – The Limpopo Department of Health have confirmed that certain parts of the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital are still closed following flash flooding in the city after Wednesday’s storm (February 1).

A thunderstorm ravaged the city late on Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, lightning and thunder and strong winds with it that lead to major flooding and structural damage in parts of Polokwane.

Read more: WATCH: Polokwane floods after heavy thunderstorm

Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana said some services have also been diverted as a result.

“Parts of the hospital that are still closed include casualty and the X-Ray department. Patients who are in need of these services are being diverted to nearby hospitals. The department calls on people who might need to visit the hospital to go to the nearest facilities instead,” his statement read.

Shikwambana said normal, specialised outpatient patient department clinics are functioning normally and warned that patients are likely to experience unusual delays today (February 2).

Meanwhile, the Mayor John Mpe told Newsroom Afrika that more than 20 homes flooded in Nirvana and that the wall at TUT Polokwane fell on a hawker.

“Our EMS teams arrived in time to provide assistance and we want to thank all the volunteers who assisted our disaster management teams in affected areas.

Mpe also confirmed that four people were arrested for looting at a business whose structure was damaged in the floods.

“We are assessing the situation to report on the extent of the damage and deal with it. Out teams are ready to assist, he said.