N2 caves in after 188mm of rain
2006-09-26 21:49
Durban - The N2 near Port Shepstone was washed away when a dam burst, causing the road to "cave in" on Tuesday.
"The sudden deluge of water left a gaping hole 30m wide and 10m deep."
As a result, traffic had to be diverted along an 8km tarred farm road, causing delays between Port Shepstone and Harding.
A traffic spokesperson said the road was likely to be out of action for several weeks.
Traffic officials in the area also had to remove trees that had been uprooted by strong winds.
The SA Weather Service said 188mm had fallen at Port Shepstone between 08:00 and 17:00 on Tuesday and that more rain was expected.
Eastern Cape
Heavy rain is also wreaking havoc in parts of the Eastern Cape, causing accidents, washing away roads and threatening the homes of shack dwellers.
Wet and misty conditions and snowfalls have resulted in the closure of the Rhodes-Mount Fletcher road and the Matatiele-Lesotho road through the Ongeluksnek border gate.
In one incident, the OR Tambo disaster management services had to retrieve a car which was found stuck in a flooded river in Mthatha.
While motorists who were involved in car accidents in the area escaped unscathed, shack dwellers in Corona outside Mthatha might soon lose their homes.
A stand at which the community makes bricks has been washed away due to rising levels of the Mthatha River, SABC radio news reported.
- SAPA