Residents in oThongathi woke up to a trail of destruction, following a devastating storm and mini tornado that struck the town on the KZN North Coast on Monday afternoon.
Emergency workers are hard at work, while government is expected to visit the town this morning to assess the damage.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) said several homes were damaged and residents were displaced.
“Reaction officers attended to 76 call-outs related to flooding, structural collapse and medical emergencies,” Rusa boss Prem Balram said.
“Multiple vehicles were also damaged by debris.”
He said they attended two scene where a woman, a 39-year-old teacher, died after a wall fell on her.
A 16-month-old toddler girl died after a wall also collapsed on her in the Sandfields area.
The child’s mother and her twin sister were rushed to hospital.
Balram said on Tuesday morning they received information that a third person was killed after an informal home collapsed.
“Officers are currently attempting to access the area and confirm the information.”
eThekwini Municipality said so far the death toll has reached five.
They said disaster teams were assessing the extent of the damage, while providing immediate relief including accommodating displaced residents in government buildings.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube is expected to lead a delegation on Tuesday morning to visit the area of oThongathi for assessment and provision of disaster relief.
IOL News