Jukskei River drownings: Day 3 of search effort for more bodies

Johannesburg Emergency Services said the search for more bodies that were swept away along the Jukskei River will continue on Monday morning.

Members of a church group were swept away during a flash flood on Saturday while they were conducting a baptism ritual in the river.

Recoveries

12 bodies were recovered on Sunday, adding to the initial two that were found on the day of the incident, bringing the total up to 14.

The families of the victims have vowed not to leave the riverbank until their loved ones have been recovered

Johannesburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said they hoped to find the remaining bodies on Monday.

“We will be continuing our search and recovery operation this morning on site with hope that we might be able to recover more bodies throughout the Jukskei River stream.”

ALSO READ: Update: Seven more bodies found after fifteen go missing in Jukskei River flash flood

Precautions

He said approximately 33 people from a church in Alexandra were attending a baptism ritual along the stream when a storm caused water levels to rise suddenly.

Mulaudzi has cautioned the resident of the city of Johannesburg to be cautious when conducting baptism rituals at river banks.

“We know that during the festive season there will be a lot of religious ceremonies like baptisms, but water levels are high. They must exercise caution, and have safety measures in place when they conduct these rituals.”

Severe weather conditions

Meanwhile, The South African Weather Service has warned of more adverse weather conditions.

On Sunday, Gauteng Weather tweeted that there was a high likelihood of severe thunderstorms in Gauteng late on Monday, with large amounts of small hail and localised flooding possible in places.

Compiled by Faizel Patel. Additional reporting by Nica Richards.

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