Poor visibility hampers rescuers

2006-08-04 10:13

Johannesburg - Poor visibility in the Thaba 'Tseka (Maluti) mountains in Lesotho is holding back rescue teams from assisting eight people who have been trapped in their cars by snow for the past three nights, the SA High Commission in Lesotho said on Friday.

Spokesperson Jerome Barnes said that the South African Defence Force, the Lesotho Air Force and a medical team were still waiting for the weather to clear before rescuing the trapped people.

"We have indicated to them where the destitute individuals are located and as soon as the weather clears, they will be going in to help," he said.

"We hope this doesn't take long...we're very concerned about them because they have been there for three nights without food and water."

The four South Africans and four Basotho became stuck in Thaba 'Tseka following snowfalls on Wednesday and Thursday.

Two of them, identified as Shadrack Mosoeu and a truck driver Moses Dlamini, had been communicating with the High Commission but their cellphones have gone dead.

Barnes said another car was trapped about two kilometres from Mosoeu's car while two other South Africans identified as Tony Ferreira and Gerald Conlon were stuck at a lodge in Katse Dam.

"There is also an officer from the Lesotho correctional services... those are the only ones reported, we are not sure if there are others."

- SAPA