Driver abandons SUV in flooded road in Durban

A driver of a Ford Ranger who had tried to cross a flooded road managed to flee to safety after his vehicle got trapped in Umdloti Beach, Durban on Saturday.

The weekend’s torrential rains saw some parts of the province battered by floods again.

Reaction Unit SA (RUSA) said they responded to a call out in Umdloti on Saturday night, when they noticed the vehicle partially submerged in water.

“The headlights were on and the windows open. Officers stopped to investigate and it was established that the driver attempted to cross the flooded road when his vehicle stalled. He abandoned his vehicle and sought refuge at a nearby municipal office.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Umdloti complex evacuated after washaway

The provincial government urged residents to leave flooding low lying areas after the South African Weather Service (Saws) increased the weather warning to a red level 10 in KwaZulu-Natal, the highest warning to be issued, for some coastal areas in province.

Saw said that water levels on the roads and rivers was expected to increase due to the torrential downpours.

In Umdloti, several residents had to be evacuated at a residential complex on Saturday night after parts of the building were washed away on Saturday night.

“Medi Response’s search and rescue unit, together with SAPS SAR, SAPS divers and the NSRI successfully evacuated those in a compromised building in the Umdloti area. The structure was deemed compromised after the foundation was seemingly undermined by large volumes of water,” said spokesperson Paul Herbst.

NOW READ: KZN floods: Zikalala warns more flooding could hit the province