Families of KZN storm victims speak, stories of survival emerge

Smangaliso Zondo and his wife Noma-Thamsanqa Nyangulo were fast asleep when their Amaoti home collapsed during a heavy storm on Monday night.  

READ: KZN rains claim two more lives

Their three children tried to pull them from the rumble, but were not able to rescue them. 

Their daughter, Zama Zondo says they are still in shock.

"This house has never let in water before. The only thing we noticed was a little droplet of which our father fixed during the day. It was not something that could cause such catastrophe." 

"It was not leaking at all. But the rain was pouring hard at that time," she said.  

On Wednesday, emergency officials confirmed the deaths of two people after a tornado swept through the Mpolweni settlement near the Midlands on Tuesday. At least 20 other people were injured.

READ: Two killed, 20 hurt following KZN tornado

The mother of the man who was crushed to death when a wall fell on him as a tornado tore through New Hanover, says she tried to dig through the rubble to save her son.

Thuleyiwe Ndlovu, 66, says her son Sphe Ndlovu, 40, was inside their home when the tornado hit.

Speaking to Newswatch outside the remains of her home Ndlovu explained what happened.

"I tried till I was out of breathe to remove the portions of the wall and rubble, but it was to heavy for me. I could see that the huge bricks were not moving and considering how they had came to rest, I could not even see my son under all that collapsed rubble. I saw nothing of him."

"Things only stated to change when my neighbour came through with a hammer and broke parts of the collapsed wall. It was only after that, we saw my son buried underneath," she said. 

ALSO READ: KZN storm shuts schools ahead of Thursday's severe thunderstorm

The loved ones of Nonhlanhla Buthelezi, 45, says they have lost everything. The mother-of-five died after a tree collapsed on her home when the tornado hit the area. 

Buthelezi's friend, Kho Ndlovu says her son was on the scene. 

"My son came here with his friend and they saw her while she was still alive. She passed away in front of them, my son is 15. She was my friend," she said. 

Stories of survival are emerging after that punishing tornado.  

Residents say they ran for their lives as the twister bore down on the Midlands town. They say they first heard a loud, continuous rumble then the sky became dark.

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Dr Alistair Clulow from the Department of Agrometeorology at UKZN says climate change is more than the rising sea levels and hotter than usual weather that most people thinks it is.

IN PICTURES: KZN tornado aftermath

Clulow says the province can expect to see more of this sort of weather, especially inland.

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Forecaster at the South Africa Weather Service, Wayne Venter says rain accompanied by strong damaging winds will continue for the next two days.

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Meanwhile, members of the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit are sifting through rubble in search of survivors and victims.

Compiled by Nushera Soodyal, Sandile Zikhali, Steve Bhengu and Gcinokuhle Malinga