Sunday’s (5/1) landspout, which is a type of tornado, caused widespread damage to schools, businesses, homes, and municipal facilities.

Emergency response teams were promptly dispatched to assess the damage and provide immediate relief, said Matjhabeng mayoral spokesperson Tshediso Tlali.

Preliminary assessments revealed significant damage to a fire station in Welkom, a petrol station, Unitas Secondary, and Welkom Technical High School. Uprooted trees and destroyed parking canopies at these schools have added to the challenge. Numerous homes and businesses also suffered considerable damage.

Matjhabeng fire station impacted by tornado. Photo supplied

“The municipality extends its heartfelt sympathy to all residents and organisations impacted by this unforeseen natural disaster,” said Tlali. “We understand the distress this has caused and assure the community that immediate steps are being taken to address the situation.”

Restoring the fire station and the affected schools is their top priority.

The municipality has appealed to the public to be cautious and avoid damaged areas to ensure their safety. Residents are encouraged to cooperate with emergency personnel working tirelessly to restore normalcy.

Tlali also raised concerns about opportunistic criminal activities. Reports of theft involving steel and aluminium materials from damaged municipal property have emerged.

“Such behaviour is unacceptable,” Tlali said. “We’re working closely with law enforcement agencies to address these incidents and safeguard our community’s assets.”

Meanwhile, the provincial government expressed concern over the damages. Cogta and Human Settlements spokesperson, Zimasa Mbewu, confirmed the partial destruction of the Welkom fire station. She said no injuries were reported at the station, even though officers were on duty at the time.

Schools and businesses were also heavily affected by severe weather conditions in Welkom. Photo supplied

Two people have received medical attention following the landspout tornado in Welkom. They were reportedly injured yesterday when strong winds blew away the roof of a petrol station. Fire services from neighbouring towns have been mobilised to provide temporary assistance in the Welkom area.

Mbewu said the Lejweleputswa district disaster management office was impacted by the strong winds. The office’s network connection was severed, complicating communication efforts between disaster teams and the public. The provincial government is working with the municipality to speed up recovery operations.

Emergency personnel attending to some of the houses that were affected by the landspout tornado. Photo supplied

Meanwhile, the SA Weather Service in Bloemfontein said it’s reviewed social media reports, including videos, indicating a possible tornado in Welkom at around 12:40 on Sunday. “These reports show evidence of damage, such as roofs being torn off and trees uprooted, suggesting the impact aligns with EF1 classifications.”

The service said after it had reviewed the radar data, it observed a single-cell thunderstorm over Welkom. “Single-cell thunderstorms are typically associated with weak tornadoes, often referred to as landspouts.

“These tornadoes are short-lived, usually lasting only a brief period, and typically cause minor to moderate damage. Given the surface conditions at the time, the radar observations support the possibility of a landspout tornado occurring in Welkom.”

It concluded social media and radar data strongly suggested a short-lived landspout tornado caused the observed damage in Welkom. “The impact of this event appears to be in the lower end of the tornado scale, with minor to moderate damage typical of landspouts.”

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg