The corpse of one of the two persons who went missing on Friday in the Eastern Cape’s Mbhashe Local Municipality has been discovered, increasing the province’s total number of flood fatalities to three.
The Chris Hani District Municipality had earlier announced the discovery of two remains that had been lost in Komani and other regions due to flooding caused by heavy rains.
After last week’s floods at Nqabarha village, two persons from Mbhashe Local Municipality who were traveling in a bakkie with four other passengers capsized while attempting to cross an overflowing river.
The K9 unit is still being used in the search for the other individual, according to Sisa Msiwa, a spokesman for the Amathole District Municipality.
“Disaster teams continue to be on high alert for any other related incidents in the province and communities are urged to remain vigilant on the roads and avoid crossing flooded areas, overflowing rivers, and/or submerged bridges to save lives,” said Msiwa.
Reduced accessibility in the Chris Hani District
Some people of the Chris Hani District Municipality still struggle to use public service amenities. This comes after last week’s widespread devastation of the road system in the Eastern Cape as a result of floods brought on by severe rains.
The district’s four local municipalities are still recovering from the flooding. Bulelwa Ganyaza, a spokesman for the Chris Hani District Municipality, said they are still looking for the best solution to the present predicament.
“Some of the amenities, such as schools and clinics, are no longer easily accessible. Therefore, a statement on the initiatives and response anticipated from the government in this respect will undoubtedly be made.”