Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal teenager has died after retaining wall collapsed on his home late on Thursday night.
His 59-year-old mother was still trapped her bedroom by Friday morning and emergency services were devising a plan to enter the unstable home and rescue her without injuring themselves.
The incident occurred shortly before 11pm on Thursday night when a retaining wall fell on a home in Pricklepear Road in Waterloo.
Prem Balram the director of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said residents called their offices requesting assistance.
He said that Reaction Officers and RUSA Medics were dispatched to the scene and on arrival they found the Verulam SAPS in attendance.
“It was confirmed that the family were asleep when the wall collapsed. A large portion of the wall crashed through the roof and crushed the (16-year-old) teenager in his bed while trapping is mother in her bedroom,” Balram said.
“His elder brother informed RUSA Members that he was in the residence at the time of the incident however he managed to escape without injury. He confirmed that his mother was in her bedroom and could be heard crying before she went silent. It cannot be confirmed at this stage if she is alive. Rescuers are unable to enter the building due to it being unstable,” he said.
Balram said Disaster Management was on scene and arrangements are being made to stabilise the home in order for first responders to enter.
Durban and the outlying areas experiences a massive lightening storm on Thursday night and it was unclear if the incident was related.
IOL