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Man crushed to death in freak Jo'burg storm
22/11/2007 22:04 - (SA)
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| Rescue workers used chain saws and hydraulic rescue equipment to get to a man whose car was crushed by a falling tree in Johannesburg, but he was already dead. (ER24)
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Johannesburg - Three people died and a number were injured during a heavy storm in Johannesburg on Thursday, paramedics and emergency officials said.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman said a young man was killed and two people injured by a large tree which collapsed in Perth Road in Auckland Park during the freak storm.
A male driver of a white car was crushed to death when the enormous tree was uprooted and fell on his car.
A woman passenger in the car was seriously injured and another person escaped with minor injuries.
Johannesburg City Parks spokesperson Jenny Moodley said Parks officials were busy cutting up the tree and removing it from the scene.
She said this was the second incident City Parks had dealt with recently where a person was killed by an uprooted tree during a storm. Act of God
Recently, a man died in Lenasia after seeking shelter from a storm under a tree.
"These are acts of God and we ask residents during raining weather to refrain from taking shelter under trees," said Moodley.
Also on Thursday afternoon, a woman was hit by lightning when she was walking out from her work place towards a nearby bus stop shelter in Randfontein around 16:14.
"Our paramedics declared her dead on the scene," said Dollman.
A woman pedestrian was struck by lightning while on her way home in Northcliff around 17:00. Dollman said she was also declared dead on the scene by paramedics. More than 20 accidents
A cyclist on Maxwell Drive in Woodmead was seriously injured after he was knocked down during the storm.
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition with serious head and chest injuries.
A 23-year-old man was struck by lightning when closing the gate at his work near Gold Reef City. The energy was transferred from the gate to his body. He was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Netcare 911 said its call centre had received reports of 18 motor vehicle and four pedestrian accidents between 15:30 and 19:00 on Thursday.
- SAPA
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