eThekwini disaster teams assessing damage after heavy rains
Officials in eThekwini say disaster teams are assessing the
damage caused by heavy rains.
The severe weather claimed the life of a woman driving home from work after her car was swept off a bridge in Pinetown on Thursday night.
The City says 10 people had to be rescued on the M19 near Reservoir Hills after their vehicles were submerged in water.
Spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana says the downpours have led to several power outages.
“In areas including Kloof, Umzinyathi, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, Avoca, oThongathi, Tshelimnyama, New Germany, Westville, and KwaDabeka among others.
Repairs are underway; however, restoration may take longer than usual due to continuous rain and how widespread the outages are,” said Sisilana.
READ: KZN bracing more wet weather over the weekend
At the same time, Sisilana has defended the City's drainage systems, saying there is no evidence that the flooding at local malls in Kloof and Pinetown was caused by a failure or blockage in its system.
“The municipality is responsible for public infrastructure related to stormwater, flooding during storms is primarily influenced by intensity of the rainfall the capacity of the drain systems and debris carried by the stormwater .
“To mitigate and protect lives and infrastructure the municipality has implemented strategic interventions including the forecast early warning system.”
Some beaches in the city have been temporarily closed because of muddy water and debris from rivers spilling into the sea.
Mop up operations are also underway on affected roads, including the N2, M19 and M4.
In Pinetown, Stapleton Road remains closed until further notice.
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