Sanral urged motorists to avoid roads affected by snow. Picture: X/Sanral
The snow that led to people being stranded on the N3 highway has resulted in one person dying.
Midlands EMS on Saturday said the person died after being exposed to severe cold overnight while stuck in a taxi.
The deceased died after collapsing at the Merrivale shopping centre. The taxi had stopped there for refreshments after being stranded in the snow overnight.
“Upon arrival, it was found that the individual had collapsed and was in a critical state of hypothermia, requiring urgent medical care,” said KZN Midlands EMS.
“While en route to the hospital, the patient’s condition rapidly deteriorated. Full resuscitation efforts were performed, but sadly, the patient was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.”
The taxi was travelling from Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
The N3 Toll Concession, at 6:45pm on Saturday, said the highway remains closed between Estcourt and Warden. This includes Van Reenen’s Pass.
The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) on Saturday evening said disaster management teams are making gradual progress with rescue and recovery operations.
It said graders were approaching the top of Van Reenen’s Pass to help clear the road now that the snowfall had eased.
“They are being followed by emergency services and humanitarian relief workers who will provide much needed assistance to stranded road users,” it said.
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Sanral, however, warned that conditions on the N3 highway are still “treacherous”.
“Visibility along the route is poor as cold and wet weather conditions continue.”
It added that more snow is expected to fall and black ice is likely to form on the road as temperatures drop during the night.
“We therefore reiterate our appeal to road users to delay all travel to the affected region until advised by authorities that it is deemed safe to do so,” said Vusi Mona, SANRAL General Manager for Communications and Marketing.
Earlier in the day, the South Africa Weather Service (Saws) upgraded its snow warning for parts of KZN to level 8.
KZN’s Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) added that the snowy weather was life-threatening, with the dangerous conditions made worse by fallen trees.
It added that essential services, such as water and electricity, have been disrupted in several areas.
“Technical teams are working to restore these services as quickly as possible, but residents should prepare for potential delays due to the weather conditions,” the PDMC said.
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