Granny and family grateful to be alive
A VERULAM granny said she cried out to God for help after her house began to flood on Monday night.
Charmaine Arjun, 50, was among members of two families who were rescued after their homes in Coniston Ridge, in Verulam, were flooded.
Arjun said her first thought was the safety of her 20-day-old grandson who was in the house with her and her daughter-in-law, Lerisha, 21.
She said they were asleep when they heard the gush of water.
“I looked through the window and saw how fast the water was getting into the house. I was worried about my grandson and I began to scream and cry in shock. My daughter-in-law and I sat on the bed with the baby and we prayed.”
Arjun said they called Vish Roopnarain, the chairman of the Verulam Civic Association, who promised to send help.
“Reaction Unit South Africa responded first but due to the depth of the water, they could not get to us. The owner of Ramlakan Sands then sent a heavy-duty tip truck to our home and we all managed to get inside.”
Lerisha said: “We are traumatised. The damage to our home was extensive. The boundary walls collapsed and our beds, clothing and groceries were damaged or destroyed. The stock from our home-run poultry business was also destroyed and the chickens died. It is going to be difficult to recover from this.”
After the Arjun family were rescued, the good samaritans went to rescue Mali Moonsamy, a 70-year-old pensioner who was trapped in her home with her son.
“I was so scared. I did not know what to do or who to call. The water reached all the way to my waist,” said Moonsamy.
She said her son, who arrived at 10pm from work, tried to help her but he was also unable to. Moonsamy said they were rescued about five hours later.
“This was one of the most daunting experiences of my life. It was even worse than the flooding in 1987.”
The families were taken to Roopnarain’s home to recover and rest.
Roopnarain said he worked through the night to help as many people as he could.
“The water rose to at least 1.5 metres and not even 4x4 vehicles could reach them. I called every emergency service I could but eventually Ramlakan Sands’ tip truck was able to help. Thankfully, everyone is safe at my home.”
He said the Verulam Charity Fair was supposed to be held this weekend.
“All the marquees were washed away. Even Chetty’s Funfair was affected.”
Prem Balram, the director of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said they responded to 220 emergency calls over eight hours. One of these included a call to rescue 500 people from Coniston Ridge.
“People who live in informal homes along the river bank needed help. Within minutes, the water rose and they were stranded. Thankfully, we were able to reach and evacuate them.”
In another incident, six adults, two infants and a dog were rescued from the rooftop of the Shri Siva Subramaniar Alayam in Verulam.
“They were stuck on the roof for five hours. They were given life jackets to get to safety. The infants were treated for hypothermia. One of our officer’s swam back to the residence after he was told a dog was trapped in the home on the premises.”
Balram said two people were swept away in Everest Heights. “Their bodies have not been found yet. Three others died in Redcliffe. Two of the bodies were found on Monday night and the third on Tuesday morning.”
He said another person died in Trenance Park. “These are all due to flooding, mudslides, or being swept away by the river.”