KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka saddened by the fatal incident that took place last night in Weenen under the Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality, where one person, a 40-year-old female, drowned with three people missing after the taxi they were travelling in got swept away while crossing a low-lying bridge in Weenen.
In the incident, 13 people who were inside the taxi managed to get to safety.
Disaster Management teams are working non-stop to locate the missing people who are believed to be from one family.
According to teams that responded to the incident 2 teenagers (a male and a female) and an adult from the Mkhize household are unaccounted for and are believed to have been swept away by the raging waters.
Hlomuka has expressed his concern about the loss of life that the province continues to experience as a result of inclement weather conditions. “We are saddened by this latest incident. Our teams are working round the clock in conjunction with the police search and rescue teams to locate the missing” said Hlomuka.
MEC Hlomuka has appealed to drivers to continue to be vigilant and avoid crossing flooded bridges as this is dangerous.
Hlomuka has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident to determine whether there was any negligence on the part of the driver in crossing the flooded river.