Durban - Hours after eThekwini Municipality issued a weather alert for heavy rains in the region, residents have shared pictures and videos of what they suspect to be a tornado ripping through areas north of Durban on Tuesday.
A Durban resident, who shared videos with The Mercury, said that while touring the Mahatma Gandhi House in the Bhambayi area in Inanda, they witnessed something that looked like a tornado.
The resident said that not far from Gandhi’s house the tornado hit the nearby school and “continued to uproot the roofs of houses”.
In a video sent to The Mercury by the resident, objects that resembled corrugated roofs can be seen flying in the sky.
Other residents shared unverified pictures and videos of the suspected tornado forming, and the aftermath on social media groups.
One of these videos shows debris flying in a circular motion while a funnel of wind forms.
EThekwini Municipality said the City had set up an emergency joint operations team to co-ordinate the response to the heavy winds and rains that pummelled some parts of the Pink area (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) and Folweni.
“Emergency and rescue teams have already been dispatched to both areas to assess the extent of the damage and to render assistance to families.
“The joint operations team will co-ordinate assistance such as machinery to move debris. A search and rescue team is also being deployed to affected areas,” said the city.
The City confirmed that no injuries or fatalities had been reported at this stage.
“Disaster and emergency teams will be in the area until all affected residents are safely accommodated.”
