Scores of trucks travelling on the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg came to a grinding halt outside Mariannhill Toll Plaza on Tuesday after deadly floods that have killed at least 20 people hit KwaZulu-Natal overnight, with Durban and surrounding areas among the hardest hit regions.
Scores of other residents were still missing and the SANDF had been activated to assist the province with rescue operations, KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said on Tuesday morning.
Operations at Durban port had also stopped, according to industry sources, although Transnet had not yet officially commented to Freight News on the status quo at the time of publication, saying it would issue a statement later.
However, notice issued by Transnet to stakeholders on Monday night noted that port operations were on standby for heavy rains and winds on Tuesday.
“Landside and waterside operations are on standby for wind and heavy rain from 19:15 on 11/04/2022. New/unutilised appointment slots will not be available until landside resumes operations. Do not dispatch trucks to the terminal without appointments as they will not be processed,” Transnet said.
Wind speed had been recorded at gusts of 70 kmph, it added.
KZN roads, including sections of the M4 between Durban and Umhloti and the N2 south of Durban, were closed as water gushed like a raging river down the freeway near the old Durban International Airport. Social media posts showed overturned trucks and containers that had dislodged from vehicles strewn across, and in some cases, afloat on the watery N2 freeway south of the city.
Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly said logistics operations in the province had largely come to a standstill and the Durban port was not operating.
“Help from all parties is required. The situation in KZN is horrendous at the moment. Emergency services seem overwhelmed and are not responding,” he said.
A video of two silvery oil tankers that had washed into the Indian Ocean at Blue Lagoon in Durban was also shared widely on social media. According to eyewitnesses the trucks were parked near the Umgeni River when flood waters washed them into the ocean and they became dislodged from their trailers.
Videos of warehouse depots, roads and homes that were flooded or collapsed in Westville, Isipingo, Umhloti, Ballito, Kloof, Pinetown, New Germany, Springfield Park and other parts of the city were circulated widely on social media. Sinkholes appeared on many roads and several vehicles capsized headlong into the muddy holes.
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance spokesperson (SDCEA) Desmond D’ SA said residents had warned that tankers holding an unknown volume of chemicals stored at Sapref appeared as if they were about to collapse.
eThekwini Municipality’s disaster management team was inundated with calls for help, and security firms and residents rallied during the night to get boats and rubber ducks to evacuate families from their collapsing homes and from houses in danger due to mudslides.
“Numerous areas have suffered water and electricity outages caused by loss or damage to infrastructure. There are several major high-voltage substations which have flooded and are currently inaccessible. Crews will be working in shifts until the high-voltage supplies are restored. Some substations will need to be rebuilt and this may cause extended delays.”
The call centres were also experiencing a high volume of calls,” eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said.
KZN COGTA MEC Sipho Hlomuka said the weather was continuing to cause havoc across the province on Tuesday morning.
“Residents residing in low-lying areas are urged to seek shelter on higher ground, disaster management teams have opened public facilities such as community halls for those that need shelter. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is working together with social partners and sister departments to ensure that there is interim relief for those that are housed in shelters. So far, the extent of the heavy rains is across the province, with eThekwini being one of the most affected areas,” he said.
The department’s teams were still collating the extent of the damage.
“Disaster management teams have been evacuating people in areas that have experienced mudslides, flooding, and structural collapses of buildings and roads. The heavy rains have affected power lines in many municipalities, with technical teams working around the clock to restore power. Residents in areas that are on higher ground are urged to open up their homes for their neighbours who are stranded as a result of the flooding caused by the heavy rains. Many roads are blocked and residents are requested to avoid unnecessary journeys,” he said.
The inclement weather conditions are expected to continue for the rest of today. The South African Weather Service has warned of further significant rainfall in eThekwini, KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Maphumulo, Ndwedwe, Ray Nkonyeni, Umdoni, Mkhambathini, Richmond, Msunduzi, uBuhlebezwe, uMlalazi, uMngeni, uMshwathi, Umuziwabantu, uMvoti, Umzimkhulu, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Umzumbe municipalities.
“This increases the risk of flooding getting worse in all these areas. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre has activated support from the South African National Defence Force for them to provide aerial support where necessary,” he said.
WATCH: Earlier today Freight News received several links of video content showing the unfolding disaster in KwaZulu-Natal, as roads washed away, often taking people and property along with them.
Truck congestion on the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg outside Mariannhill Toll Plaza: Truck congestion - YouTube
Road to market washed away - YouTube
