#KZNStorms: death toll rises to four as storms lash province

Several incidents, including containers that fell from a truck on to a vehicle killing one person and a family being trapped in their home, because of the heavy rainfall in various parts of Durban were keeping emergency medical services busy in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, paramedics said.

“An ambulance overturned, leaving two medical crew injured along the N2 in Umgababa, two taxis collided in Magabeni and several other distress calls,” ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said in a statement.

ER24 spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen said one person was killed and another sustained serious injuries after two shipping containers fell on top of the vehicle they were travelling in on Rotterdam Road in Bayhead in Durban.

She said when paramedics arrived on the scene at about 11am, they found a vehicle underneath two containers.

“Upon further assessment, they found two patients, both males, trapped inside the vehicle.

“Both patients had to be extricated with the jaws of life. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done for the one patient, and he was declared dead on the scene by another medical service. The other patient was transported to hospital by another medical service on scene,” Van Huyssteen said.

A policeman died and another had to be extricated when a container struck their vehicle during the massive storm.

“In the Bayhead area, a container fell onto a police vehicle, killing the policeman inside. A second policeman had to be extricated from the vehicle,” according to Rescue Care’s Garrith Jamieson.

Meanwhile, Vermaak said severe flooding of roads occurred in Amanzimtoti, N2 between Amanzimtoti and M7 Bluff, a mud slide near Doonside and many other roads had been closed off.

“Paramedics were alerted of several vehicles that were under water along the N2.”

Vermaak added the heavy rainfall had contributed to smaller rivers and low-lying areas filling up quickly, leaving dangerous conditions across large parts the area.

According to a TimesLIVE report, the death toll has now risen to four in KZN.

A municipal employee is reported to have died after a wall collapsed on her during the height of the storm in Durban on Tuesday afternoon.

“The woman had sought refuge from the wind and rain in an ablution facility at the Berea station when the wall collapsed‚ said head of parks‚ recreation and culture at the eThekwini Municipality Thembinkosi Ngcobo.”

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