More than 100 houses damaged by storm around Hazyview

The Ehlanzeni Disaster Management Centre is on the ground to provide assistance to affected communities.

Some of the roads that were closed due to yesterday’s storm, November 18, are now open for traffic, and more injuries have been reported in Hazyview.

The Ehlanzeni Disaster Management Centre is still providing assistance where it can.

The Ehlanzeni District Municipality mayor, Jester Sidell, said more than 100 houses were affected by the storm. Three children are reported to have also been injured. Four schools and a clinic were damaged in the area. The disaster management team is still assessing the situation, and clearing trees and debris so that traffic can flow again normally.

“For the affected households, we have offered tents to cover their roofs while we work on a permanent solution. With more rain predicted during the November/December period, I would like to warn communities to exercise caution to prevent potential fatalities. People need to be vigilant and always remain in safe areas,” Sidell said.

The owners of Nabana Lodge, which was extremely affected by the storm, have managed to clear the road for their guests so that they could vacate the area.

One of the lodge owners, Nicollet Valetin, said it would take more than a week to clear all the damages at Nabana. “We are thankful that no one was hurt. All our guests managed to leave our establishment unharmed. We are now waiting for the insurance to come and assess the damages before we can start cleaning.”

Lowvelder can confirm that three adults and four children were injured. The two adults who were admitted to hospital on Friday have since been released.

A mother and a 12-year-old were rushed to Matikwane Hospital after a tree fell on top of their car at Hazyview Mall. It took more than an hour for emergency personnel to retrieve them from their vehicle. They were released this afternoon, November 19.