Johannesburg - The Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) has warned residents and motorists to be vigilant this weekend as expected rain could result in more flash flooding across the city.
On Friday, there were road closures in Soweto, Roodepoort and Lenasia caused by flooding. Emergency services were kept busy rescuing people trapped by the rising waters.
Yesterday, passengers had to be rescued from a bus that was stuck in the torrential rain in Orlando, Soweto.
Emer-G-Med’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) spokesperson Kyle van Reenan said they received a frantic call from a female passenger on the bus who told them the vehicle was rapidly filling up with water.
“Stuck in the heavy downpour in an unknown area with water levels rising, the bus was beginning to rapidly take on water and understandably the caller was in distress and could not accurately explain her location or a landmark,” Van Reenan said.
He added that they requested the distressed woman to send Emer-G-Med the bus’s GPS location over WhatsApp Messenger.
“Once the EOC received the location, multiple rescue units from the City of Johannesburg, the South African Police Service and Emergency Medical Services, as well as the First Assist Commercial Heavy Duty Towing division mobilised to the location,” he said.
“Rescue services conducted a delicate and skilled rescue operation, resulting in the safe retrieval of all passengers on-board a sixty-seater passenger bus. We commend and thank all agencies involved in the rescue,” said Van Reenan.
As of last night there had been no reports of fatalities.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla told the Saturday Star: “Earlier we did receive reports that a minibus taxi and a VW Polo were swept away by the water, but the VW Polo was salvaged. Unfortunately, the minibus taxi is still stuck in the water. Fortunately, both of the drivers are safe.”
In a separate incident, three people were rescued from a flooded home in Kliptown.
Gauteng EMS spokesperson Xoli Khumalo said an old woman and two men were rescued.
Meanwhile, the City said that severe road infrastructure damage had been reported across Joburg with Roodepoort and Soweto being severely impacted by extreme weather conditions.
Joburg City Power said it had received more than 2 000 complaints of power outages due to a fierce hail storm on Monday afternoon.
Photographs posted on the Joburg City Power Twitter account showed technicians working in flooded underground tunnels in the City’s CBD, following heavy storms.
And while the South African Weather Service predicts a 60% chance of more rain over the weekend for Joburg, it has not issued a flood warning. Residents and motorists were urged to be careful.
“Motorists should take extra caution. If you do come across extremely flooded roads or flooded low lying bridges, avoid those at all cost.”