So far, 11 people have been confirmed dead in events directly linked to the storm
Supplied/Drakenstein Municipality
At least 11 people are known to have died in the Western Cape Heritage Day long weekend storm. A search party is still looking for a Kleinmond resident who was washed off a bridge. Four of those who died are children who were electrocuted when they touched illegally connected electricity cables.
At least 30 volunteers continued their search on Thursday for Kleinmond resident Nico du Preez, whose car was washed off a bridge with him in it during a severe storm on Monday.
Overstrand councillor Grant Cohen told News24 they have not given up on finding him and launched a BackaBuddy campaign to cover the cost of a helicopter to help in the search for him.
So far, 11 people have been confirmed dead in events directly linked to the storm, which left at least R1.4 billion in structural, crop, and soil damage across the hardest-hit parts of the province.
But the human cost is still being counted as funeral arrangements were made for eight people who died in the City of Cape Town – four of them children.
These deaths have been attributed to electrocution due to illegally connected electricity cables in the Covid-19 informal settlement and Klipfontein Mission Settlement.
Further afield in the Theewaterskloof District Municipality, three people were swept away and died.
READ | ‘I went numb’: Families heartbroken after 4 boys electrocuted during Cape storm
The municipality’s Wilfred Johannes-Solomons told News24 that two people were swept away in the Villiersdorp region and one at Bot River.
Theewaterskloof Mayor Mary Liebenberg said: “Three people died in the disaster, and first and foremost, my heartfelt condolences go to the families that were left behind and the people who have lost so much in the floods.
“It hurts, but we are here to show our sympathy to all those who have been affected. We also want to give residents the reassurance that we can’t do everything at once, but we will do all we can as a municipality.”
Western Cape police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said police divers and a search and rescue team were still deployed in the Bot River area with an EMS helicopter, a privately funded helicopter, and drones assisting with searches as the waters subside.
Nico du Preez who is still missing after being swept away by the floodwaters of the Bot River on Monday.
Cohen said Du Preez’s brother, Jaco, managed to get to safety when water washed their vehicle off the road as the Bot River flooded.
“We have all jumped in to see how we can assist,” he added.
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