1 dead, 105 hurt in Free State storm
2013-01-02 14:04
Video
2012-12-11 15:47
In Boitumelong township near Bloemhof in the Northwest, at least 15 families were left homeless. And in KwaZulu-Natal, flooding has claimed eight lives. Watch. WATCH
Johannesburg - An elderly woman was killed and 105 people
were injured in a severe storm in Sasolburg in the Free State, a municipal
official said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson for the Metsimaholo municipality, Gino
Alberts, said he could not verify how the woman was killed.
Heavy rains struck Amelia township around 21:00 on
Tuesday.
"Around 1 000 households were affected, but the
exact figure of how many people were affected is still not clear," he
said.
The injuries ranged from minor to serious. Alberts said
disaster management teams were assessing the situation.
"We are doing everything in our power to assist the
affected families and we are appealing to people to help with food or
blankets... They can deliver these things at the safety department in
Sasolburg."
The SA Weather Bureau reported that the Free State could
expect more rain throughout the day. There was a 60% chance of showers and
thundershowers in the afternoon, forecaster Khushulwa Msimanga said.
"A severe thunderstorm has started to develop in the
southern and central parts of the province and this is expected to continue
into the evening," he said.
- SAPA
