Third body found after bakkie was swept off flooded KZN bridge, search continues

Rescue teams were deployed after six people were swept away in a KwaZulu-Natal bridge disaster. Rescue teams are continuing the search for missing victims after a bakkie carrying farm workers was swept off a flooded bridge in uMsinga, northern KwaZulu-Natal, during heavy rain on Thursday evening. According to a report by theSABC, a third body was recovered from the Tugela River in the Msinga area on Saturday morning, bringing the number of confirmed fatalities to three.

Several people remain missing. The SABC reported that the vehicle had been carrying eight occupants when it was washed off a low-lying bridge during the storm. Two people managed to escape from the vehicle before it was swept away by the swollen river, while the others were carried downstream.

As IOL reported earlier,search and rescue teamswere deployed to the area after the incident occurred shortly after 7pm on Thursday at the Infenebude Bridge on the P17 road in the eNadi area of eMabovini. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila said the vehicle was attempting to cross the flooded bridge when it was swept away by strong currents. Mzila confirmed that two occupants managed to escape and reach safety, while the remaining six were carried away by the floodwaters.

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KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, dispatched provincial disaster management teams to the scene following the incident. Provincial disaster management officials, working together with the South African Police Service (SAPS) Search and Rescue unit, began operations shortly after the incident was reported. “Our teams are on the ground and will remain there until the missing are located.

We have deployed all necessary resources to ensure the search operation proceeds without delay,” Buthelezi said. He also extended condolences to the families of the victims and confirmed that the department is providing support to those affected by the tragedy.

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