IN PICS: Maritzburg community pulls together as tornado mop-up efforts begin 

In the aftermath of Tuesday night’s tornado, which touched down in Mpolweni outside of Wartburg in KwaZulu-Natal, reports of utter devastation are beginning to emerge as rescue teams fan out into the rural area to assess the extent of the damage.

Maritzburg Sun were on the scene on Wednesday morning to document the devastation.

So far, two people have been confirmed dead, with dozens injured by collapsing walls and flying debris. Homesteads across the area in Mpolweni and Thokozani township neighbouring Albert Falls Dam were destroyed as the twister rampaged through the region.

Various emergency services arrived at around 5.20pm on Tuesday afternoon, after having received a call from Disaster Management and Search & Rescue to assist on the scene.

ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell said: “Provincial medics were already on the scene, having assisted with nine patients. Two adults were unfortunately declared dead on the scene. ER24 set up a triage area and treated and transported a further nine patients for minor to moderate injuries to various hospitals in the area. Provincial also transported a further two, bringing the total injured on scene to 20.”

According to Campbell, an adult woman who had suffered serious injuries as a result of losing control of her vehicle during the storm was treated with advanced life support interventions before being taken to Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg for further care.

He said: “Many animals were reported to have been injured or killed in the area, and power lines are also down. The Fire Department and SAPS were also on scene. The rescue effort was called off at 11.53pm last night and resumed again this morning.”

Capital Newspapers sent a team at first light into the field to capture images of the disaster. Relief operations headed by provincial government including SAPS, fire and rescue and both state and private ambulance services were in full swing.

The Mpolweni and Thokozani townships bore the full brunt of the high winds of the storm.

Amateur video footage captured by multiple witnesses show a large funnel cloud descending and then the base of the tornado rapidly widening as it tore a path of destruction across the area. The tornado was on the ground for several minutes

The twister also damaged Eskom’s power distribution centre, leaving communities and first responders in the dark, and hampering the assessment and deployment of disaster manager resources.

Meanwhile, Pietermaritzburg residents were among the first to respond to the neighbouring disaster, and by Tuesday evening, a collection drive had been launched to collect blankets, canned food, bottled water and toiletries for the survivors, many of them left destitute.

Gift of the Givers, Midlands Hindu Society, and Community Chest were all liaising with authorities to assess the community’s needs and were preparing support plans, which will be elaborated on soon.

In Mkondeni, Trucklek Auto Electrical is working with WPS, and a drop-off point has been established at Trucklek Auto at 19 Halstead Road for the public to drop off items said Gaynor Stander.

“We need more food donations. People are welcome to drop off whatever they can. All donated items will be taken to the worst affected areas later today and distributed” said Stander who can be contacted on 082 458 8167.

The department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) has also provided numbers of district disaster management centres residents can contact in various areas near where the tornado touched down.

This comes as bad weather continues in KwaZulu-Natal. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) said in a statement that there was a chance of mudslides, landslides and soil erosion, which could lead to further traffic flow disruptions.

An estimate of damage costs incurred as a result of sustained downpours and the tornado has not yet been made available.

(Additional reporting by Nica Schreuder)