Cape Town – An eight-year-old boy and a 37-year-old man were swept away while crossing the Masende River in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on Christmas Day.
The boy’s body was found, but the man is still missing, Times Live reported.
Persistent rainfall in the area has temporarily suspended search and rescue operations.
This incident adds to the death toll of seven people, with 11 still unaccounted for, including those affected by flooding in Ladysmith.
The KZN department of cooperative governance urged caution, especially while traveling, and advises against attempting to cross rivers with water levels above the knee.
WATCH: Rescue teams will today resume their searches for missing people following flash floods in Ladysmith in KZN on Christmas eve. 6 people have died while 10 people are still missing. Another search is going on in Mandeni for a man swallowed by Masende river on Christmas day. pic.twitter.com/vkFZbMZsXr
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) December 27, 2023
“As rain continues to fall in various parts of our province, we urge people to exercise caution, especially those travelling on the roads. We strongly advise residents not to attempt to cross rivers where the water level is above the knee,” the department said.
“The South African Weather Service has forecast more [than] normal rainfall throughout the summer. This requires us to be disaster wise and adhere to the disaster alerts to reduce risk,” the report quoted Provincial Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi as saying.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service has predicted above-normal rainfall, prompting a call for disaster awareness and adherence to alerts to reduce risks.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
