Tornado hits Tembisa
TEMBISA – A tornado swept through Tembisa damaging the hospital, mall and shacks.
The area surrounding Olifantsfontein Road, including Phumlani Mall and a number of shacks, was hit by a horrific tornado on the afternoon of 26 July.
The Gauteng Department of Health issued a statement stating that the Tembisa Tertiary Hospital had also been affected by the tornado.
Steve Mabona of the department revealed that the tornado destroyed the hospital’s fence, carports, about 20 vehicles belonging to employees, including three ambulances, the roof of one of the hospital’s building and uprooted some trees.
Fortunately, no patient or employee sustained any injury as a result.
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The tornado swept through Tembisa and damaged Phumlani Mall and some residents’ shacks. Seventeen people sustained minor injuries after being hit by flying debris.
After receiving reports of people trapped under debris in Tembisa, paramedics arrived on the scene and treated the injured.
Spokesperson for Emer-G-Med, Max Cohen said, “Emer-G-Med paramedics attended to a mass casualty incident in Tembisa after the tornado ripped through the Phumlani Mall and a number of shacks in the area in the vicinity of the Tembisa Hospital near Olifantsfontein Road.”
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Media liaison officer, Chris Botha revealed that Netcare 911 dispatched multiple units to the Tembisa area near the Phumlani Mall.
The South African Weather Service has issued warnings of bad weather throughout the country.
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