Provincial spokesperson for Health, Mondli Mvambi, explains that on Thursday the province experienced heavy downpours which resulted in damage to some roads.

He adds that one accident - which claimed four lives - was reported Thursday evening on the R700 road just outside Soutpan.

He further adds that on Friday, the river passing through the town of Bethlehem also flooded – leading to traffic having to be diverted.

Mvambi says one person was rescued from a truck, four from their water-logged homes, five form their places of work, one from a car that was stuck on a bridge, and twelve others from a taxi which was also stuck on a bridge, while six individuals were rescued from a bakkie. The Provincial Disaster Management Team has been surveying developments in many parts of the province.

Mvambi says the South African Weather Services had issued a warning about adverse weather conditions that were likely to prevail in most of the province during the weekend. 

OFM News