KZN flood tragedy: Search for last victim suspended after week-long operation

Emergency services have called off the search for the sixth person who went missing after a vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in uMsinga in KZN last week,reportsThe Witness. The decision to suspend the operation was made after several days of combing rivers, riverbanks and surrounding areas in the hope of locating the last missing victim. The tragedy unfolded last Thursday evening when a bakkie carrying eight people was swept away while attempting to cross a flooded low-lying bridge at eNadi in eMabovini along the P17 Road.

The group had been travelling from Kranskop in uMvoti Municipality to the uMsinga area when heavy rains caused water levels to rise rapidly, turning the usually manageable crossing into a deadly torrent. Two occupants managed to escape the vehicle and reach safety, while the remaining six were carried away by the currents. In the days that followed, search-and-rescue teams from the South African Police Service, provincial disaster management and local municipalities worked tirelessly to recover the victims.

Boats, rescue divers, a helicopter and drones were deployed to search difficult-to-reach areas along streams and rivers feeding into the uThukela River, where it is feared the missing victim may have been swept downstream by strong currents. After a week-long search, the man had still not been found. Msinga Municipality confirmed toThe Witnessthat the search was called off on Wednesday afternoon.

[paywall]

The tragedy has left families devastated and the community in mourning, as relatives continue to grapple with the painful reality that one of their loved ones may never be found. One of the residents, Nontobeko Thusi, said residents have long been calling on government to repair roads and build safer bridges after several people were swept away at low-lying crossings. This is not the first tragedy we’ve faced where people die after their vehicles are swept away by floodwaters. Each year we ask for safe bridges and roads and nothing happens.

[/paywall]