Roads closed over heavy rain

2012-07-14 14:40

(File, Shutterstock)

Johannesburg - Several roads in various parts of the country have been closed on Saturday due to heavy rain and snow, the SABC reported.

The Barkley Pass on the R58 between Barkley East and Elliot has been closed, as well as the Kraairivier Pass, also on the R58 between Barkley East and Lady Grey.

Cape Town motorists along the N12 between Cape Town and Victoria West had been stuck on the road for more than nine hours due to heavy snowfall, according to the public broadcaster.

Heavy rain and snow had been forecast in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, while Gauteng was experiencing extreme cold.

In the Eastern Cape, four people were killed on Friday when two vehicles collided at the Panhoek Pass, the provincial disaster management centre said.

"[We assume] the accident was caused by poor visibility and the roads being slippery," disaster management spokesperson Lungile Qabisisa said in a statement on Saturday. "In another incident, four people were left trapped in snowfall between Molteno and Sterkstroom. Police were called in to assist," said Qabisisa.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality evacuated 20 people from the Missionvale area on Friday.

Officials have urged locals in low-lying areas to prepare themselves for possible evacuations.

Meanwhile, graders have been dispersed to the Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani districts to try and clear the roads.

- SAPA