STORM CLAIMS TWO
RETRIEVED: Members of the SAPS diving unit on the scene where the bodies of two drowning victims were retrieved.
Pictures: Danie van der Lith TWO MEN drowned after falling into a canal near Dunston next to the cemetery in Galeshewe during yesterday afternoon’s heavy downpour.
It is believed that the deceased were walking across the bridge when one man slipped while the second tried to assist him. Both, however, ended up in the fast-flowing water.
Their bodies were later retrieved by members of the SAPS diving unit in the veld at the back of Gogga Pump station. The bodies were found some distance apart.
Community members pointed out that the bridge was slippery in wet conditions and that there was no handrail for people to steady themselves.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Majang Skalkie said the Galeshewe police have opened an inquest into the death of the two men who were between the ages of 40 and 50.
“No foul play is suspected at this stage. The incident took place while the deceased were walking in heavy rains and visibility was limited.”
She added that family members of the victims have yet to positively identify the deceased before their identities could be revealed.
It is believed that one of the deceased was a municipal worker employed at the ABC Cemetery.
Relatives of the victims were emotional and cried after receiving news of the drownings and rushed to the scene.
Following yesterday afternoon’s downpour, residents in Jacksonville, Lerato Park, most of areas of Galeshewe, Homevale and Home Valley had to mop up their homes.
Community members from Jacksonville stated that they had blockaded the road again because they were swimming in muddy water around their homes.
The DFA was inundated with complaints of flooding and sewerage water that was seeping into their homes, along with the non-responsiveness of councillors.
Some residents have been left with nowhere to go.
Spokesperson for the Sol Plaatje Municipality, Sello Matsie, said that they have received reports of 32 roofs of houses that had blown off since the beginning of the month.
“All reported electricity problems are being attended to by our teams and some areas are back on. Emergency services have already installed temporary roofing in affected areas such as Ritchie, Roodepan and Boikanyo and Nxumalo streets.”
He also expressed condolences to the family members of the two men who drowned.
Matsie added that serious storm damage was reported in Ritchie where shacks were flooded and roofs were blown off.
More isolated thunderstorms are expected this week with tempratures expected to hover in the mid to high 20s.