At least three people have died and 21 others sustained injuries when a Golden Arrow bus overturned on Jakes Gerwel Drive in Athlone, Cape Town on Monday.
This after the city’s disaster risk management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, issued a warning earlier on Monday urging the Capetonians to be cautious on the roads.
Powell’s warning came after heavy rains and strong winds battered parts of the Western Cape overnight.
Reports say the Golden Arrow bus lost control due to the slippery surface of the road.
According to provincial traffic authorities, a section of the N2 highway in Botriver, located in the Overberg region, has been entirely washed away.
This after the river burst its banks earlier in the day, leading to surging water levels overpowering the road.
“Several roads are closed due to heavy rainfall and excessive flooding across large parts of the Western Cape,” said the traffic officials.
“The province is currently experiencing an intense cold front, bringing with it gale force winds.”
In a separate incident, said Powell, emergency medical services’ officials rescued four people who were trapped inside a house in Strand.
In another incident, a roof was blown off a private property in the inner city and a dwelling in Hout Bay was damaged by strong winds, she added.
In a briefing early on Monday, Western Cape MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning, Anton Bredell, said one person was swept away in the Groot Brakrivier.
“The part of the road with the bridge was washed away with a car on it. There were two people in the car and they [the officials] managed to save one,” said Bredell.
“They are still looking for the other one, but it doesn’t look good.”
Bredell further said two people were reported missing in Villiersdorp.
Due to bad weather conditions, Eskom has temporarily suspended loadshedding in the affected areas of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
“Due to widespread damage to electricity infrastructure caused by flooding in the Western and Eastern Cape coastal areas, loadshedding will be suspended,” the power utility said in a statement earlier on Monday.
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