The KwaDukuza Municipality has urged school pupils to keep away from bridges that have been damaged by the recent storms.
KwaDukuza mayor Lindile Nhaca said the storms had caused extensive damage to infrastructure. The municipality on Monday said it is compiling a preliminary report on the extent of the damage.
“The municipality of KwaDukuza suffered extensive damage in the rains this past Saturday. In one ward, one person was said to have been washed away although at the moment it is still difficult to identify the person that was washed away as no family had come forward to report a missing relative.
“We have suffered damage to our infrastructure, our roads were damaged extensively but teams have been dispatched to assess the damage in all the wards that have been affected,” said the mayor.
She urges residents, especially parents, to be cautious and not use bridges that have been damaged.
“We know that the schools are reopening and there are bridges that were washed away. We urge the community to be careful and ensure that as schools reopen on Wednesday, children should not use those bridges (that were damaged) and stay away from areas that are still flooded as those could pose a risk,” she said.
In a statement recently, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs said severe thunderstorms, accompanied by strong winds, have left a trail of destruction in various areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
The most significant damages have been reported in the eThekwini Metro, KwaDukuza and Ndwedwe Local Municipalities at this stage.
It said its Disaster Management teams responded to a number of calls between 8pm and 10pm on Saturday night when the thunderstorm battered the coastal areas, causing severe damage to households, businesses and infrastructure.
The Mercury