Severe Cape Town weather conditions reportedly caused eight deaths by 5pm on Wednesday, the Western Cape government said.
“Four fatalities were reported in Kraaifontein due to a fire caused by lightning, one fatality was confirmed in Lavender Hill due to a building collapse and three people died in fire-related circumstances in Rheenendal, outside Knysna in the Eden district,” provincial local government spokesman James-Brent Styan said in a statement.
The stormy weather, which included heavy rainfall and gale-force winds in the Cape Peninsula and strong winds in the Southern Cape, continued on Wednesday night with more bad weather expected on Thursday.
Roofs were blown off houses in the City, these include the Strand area, Kalkfontein, Delft, Mfuleni, Mandalay, while 15 people were displaced when their roofs were blown off in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay. Trees were uprooted, roads were forced to close and electricity to various areas was cut off as the monster storm coming in off the Atlantic coast hit the Mother City overnight.
Gale force winds created havoc in the West Coast area where roughly 13 roofs were blown off houses, 45 informal dwellings collapsed and reported power failure occurred in Citrusdal as well as a roof of a crèche in Saldanha Bay blowing away.
“All citizens of the coastal areas are to continue to stay clear from beaches, Businesses along the coastline note possible sea rising levels expected from 2pm, All citizens are to stay away from water masses (rivers and dams) due to fast flow runoffs, and no access to hiking trails and mountain areas access to be prohibited,” Styan warned. – African News Agency (ANA)
