Rescue missions were still under way on Sunday for motorists who have now been trapped on freezing snow for two days on the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal.
Authorities and emergency services have been working since Saturday morning to clear the snow, which affected the road between Estcourt and Harrismith in the Free State.
The N3 Toll Concession spokesperson, Thania Dhoogra, said the area between Tugela Plaza and Harrismith was still a no-go area but they managed to restore mobility in some parts of the route.
“We have partially been able to clear some of the lanes from Tugela Plaza all the way to Van Heerden and we’ve been able to escort light motor vehicles out of the area, however, it's extremely challenging and difficult because the weather conditions to get the graders from Van Reenen to Montrose,” Dhoogra said in an interview with eNCA.
Dhoogra told the broadcaster that there’s a 30km stretch that still needs to be cleared and they were facing challenges of removing abandoned and broken-down vehicles off the road.
“This also makes it difficult for the team to get through to the stranded individuals. We appeal to road users to avoid travelling from to the area because it’s compounding the issue,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Centre spokesperson, Elias Sithole, said they have deployed more resources to assist motorists who have been in their cars.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Sithole said they got an alert from the South African Weather Service (Saws) but were not anticipating that the snow will be of such magnitude.
“The difference this time around is the kind of snow we had, and it has affected all roads, but we are learning to how we can best prepare in future because in the past we would experience snow and we would easily clear it,’’ he said.
KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, said for efficiency, they have roped in help from South African Police Service (SAPS) as well as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
“We have also deployed more graders to assist with the rescue operations... There is just no access for cars from Montrose towards Johannesburg, ice boulders are everywhere,” he said.
Duma said even though they managed to save thousands of people, there was still a great concern about those who were still trapped.
“There are hundreds of trucks, and some jackknifed which makes it difficult for graders to remove the snow as rescue teams have to remove one truck at the time including cars. The team is however working hard and and we see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Duma said.
On Saturday, one person was reported dead after a taxi they were travelling in was trapped in the heavy snow.
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