No major damage after Gauteng floods

Published Jan 31, 2017

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Johannesburg – Despite heavy rainfall and flash flooding since Monday, areas across Gauteng have suffered minimal damage in comparison to November's fatal floods.

Both the Joburg and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department’s said there was flooding on several roads and bridges as well as a few bumper bashings and incidents due to the wet weather.

Areas that were flooded during the heavy rain included the double decker of the M1, parts of Cosmo City, Bryanston, Braamfontein, Sunninghill, Observatory and Fourways.

The Smit Street off ramp and bridge under the M1 North in Braamfontein remained flooded this morning and was still closed off to traffic.

In another incident early on Tuesday morning, a truck driver was killed on the N12 west in Delmas when his vehicle crashed into the back of another truck.

Spokesperson for ER24 Werner Vermaak (corr) said that shortly after 6am paramedics from ER24 arrived on the scene where they found the truck still wedged into the back of the other truck.

“Upon assessment, they found that a single occupant of the truck sustained fatal injuries. Sadly, there was nothing that they could do for him and he was declared dead on the scene,” he said.

Two other people were also injured in the collision and stabilised on the scene.

“It took the local fire department several hours to free the body using specialised equipment to free the man’s body from the wreckage.

“The exact circumstances surrounding the crash is not yet known. Local authorities attended the scene and will investigate,” Vermaak said.

ER24’s Russel Meiring said that four men escaped serious injury on Monday afternoon after they were rescued from beneath a flooded bridge on Bryanston Drive in Joburg.

“ER24 paramedics, along with SA Police Search and Rescue arrived on the scene and found that four men had become trapped after the river had flooded during the heavy rains."

“SAPS search and rescue donned their wetsuits and while community services diverted most of the traffic,” he said.

Meiring explained that ER24 assisted the rescue teams,using rescue throw-ropes, to retrieve the four men.

“After a short few minutes, all four men were brought to the nearby banks and were they were assessed by ER24. Fortunately, no one sustained any injuries,” he added.

Also on Monday, as rain continued to fall, four people were injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the N12 East in Linmeyer, south of Joburg.

According to Emer-G-Med spokesperson Maxwell Cohen (corr) seven vehicles including two trucks and five cars were involved in the crash.

“It's reported that a first collision between two vehicles blocked the highway. Motorists had stopped to assist when a truck, which was towing another truck, crashed into the scene,” he said.

“On arrival paramedics found that four people had been injured. One person was entrapped within the crumpled remains of his vehicle having sustained serious injuries that required Advanced Life Support interventions,” Cohen explained.

Netcare911 said that a woman sustained serious injuries when two vehicles collided on the R57 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark this afternoon.

Spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said in a statement their paramedics stabilised the driver of one vehicle on scene before transporting the patient to a nearby hospital for further medical care.

However, in a separate incident in Kriel, Mpumalanga on Monday, one person was killed and three others sustained minor injuries when a tree fell onto a building during a heavy storm.

“Shortly before 4pm, paramedics from ER24 and local emergency services arrived on the scene where they found a large tree that fell through a prefab building,” Vermaak said.

“Three people were found outside the building with minor scrapes and bruises. They indicated that they were inside the building when the tree fell on top and through it.

“They were assessed and treated on the scene and later transported to Mediclinic Highveld for further care,” he said.

Vermaak explained that a woman, believed to be in her early thirties, was found inside the building with fatal injuries.

“Sadly, there was nothing that paramedics could do for her and she was declared dead by the local emergency services,” he added.

EMPD spokesperson Kobedi Mokheseng (corr) reminded road users to not drive or walk through flooding waters on roads which are strong and can wash people away, keep a safe following distance, not to speed, drive with lights on and seatbelts fastened.

@Lanc_02

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