Over 50 households have been displaced following the collapse of the Riverlands Dam walls on Thursday morning. The incident caused significant damage in Chatsworth and Riverlands, just outside Malmesbury, north of Cape Town.
Residents woke to find their homes submerged, with some losing everything as their houses were washed away.
Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell said the Swartland Fire and Rescue and Law Enforcement Services managed to save 15 people.
“Injured persons have been assessed for near-drowning and transported to nearby hospitals for observation and further treatment.”
Earlier, it was reported that two people were missing, however, Bredell confirmed that no fatalities or missing people were reported by the Swartland Municipality.
“Initial reports indicate extensive damage to property and infrastructure. While the Swartland Municipality has reported no injuries or missing persons at this time, efforts are ongoing to reach areas that were initially inaccessible due to the flooding,” he said.
Bredell added that engineers from the Department of Local Government are conducting an on-site assessment on the extent of damages to infrastructure and various stakeholders are working to deliver humanitarian aid efforts.
“The priority is to ensure that all affected individuals have access to clean water and basic services throughout the weekend,” he said.
He added that the third dam, situated upstream of the two failed dams, is currently being inspected by engineers to assess its safety.
“We urge residents to stay safe and remain vigilant, as the South African Weather Service has predicted more rainfall for the coming weekend. We ask that community members remain calm and follow the instructions of emergency officials on the ground,” said Bredell.
In July, the Western Cape was hit hard by adverse weather conditions with torrential rainfall and gale-force winds resulting in extensive flooding, damage to infrastructure, homes being swept away and extensive power outages across the province.
The City of Cape Town said in just 10 days, between July 9 and July 19, its electricity teams attended to almost 19,000 primarily storm-related faults.
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