Johannesburg - Roofs were uprooted, vehicles damaged and more than 200 people were treated for injuries after a tornado lashed parts of Ekurhuleni on Tuesday following a severe-weather warning.
Many people sustained minor injuries, and rescue teams worked into the night to ensure that no one was left trapped beneath the storm debris.
And while there was panic when news spread that Tembisa Hospital had been hit by the unusual weather occurrence, Gauteng Department of Health spokesman Steve Mabona said the damage to the hospital was minimal.
The hospital treated hundreds of patients.
“We’ve seen about 200 people, most of them came in with pain and we gave them medication and discharged them. We have admitted three people who had cuts on the body. They are serious but stable.”
About 20 employees’ vehicles and three ambulances were damaged, Mabona said.
“We’ve managed to dispatch ambulances from neighbouring areas. We coped very well because almost everyone has been attended to.”
Three people were admitted to hospital after being rescued from the Phumulani Mall in Tembisa, where the roof was blown off.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services spokesman William Ntladi said that although the situation was calm, residents were advised to be on high alert.
“We have cordoned off the area where there is fallen debris. The roof was blown off and there was a lot of water leakage into the mall,” he said, adding that at least 10 cars and two trucks were damaged.
“Windows were blown off; trucks were blown off their wheels and onto their sides.”
Ntladi advised those living in low-lying areas to look out for flash floods, adding that people needing assistance could call the helpline at 10177 or 011 458 0911.
“We are urging pupils to go to school. We are also saying to parents that if their kids have to cross a spruit, they should accompany them.”
He said motorists should be on the alert for flash floods when driving over bridges. “If you can’t see the tar,” he warned, “rather use an alternative route.”
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) said the tornado was caused by a cut-off low-pressure system that occurs when the west-to-east flow of air in the atmosphere is disturbed.
Although cut-off lows are common in the country between March and May, as well as September to November, SAWS said its warning encompassed the chance of a tornado. “We had issued an alert for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday. Cut-off lows affect a larger area in the western interior which could go up to areas as far as Limpopo. It’s that unstable air in the atmosphere that caused the tornado,” said forecaster Venetia Phakula.
The last tornado warning was in February in Belfast, Mpumalanga.
The whirlwind then headed towards Bronkhorstspruit and later hit Magaliesburg, causing severe damage.