3 Dead and 17-Year-Old Girl Goes Missing During Eastern Cape Heavy Rains, South Africans Horrified

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 2:38 PM by Tebogo Mokwena

A pregnant woman, her child, and a teenager died following heavy floods in the OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape
A teenager also went missing after she was swept away by the waters while trying to cross over a bridge
Netizens were saddened by the deaths and believed that they could have been avoidable if the government had invested in proper infrastructure

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The OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape experienced heavy rains — The heavy Eastern Cape Rains claimed three lives, with one teenager missing after she tried to cross a river. Image: OR Tambo District Municipality
Source: Original

Three lives were lost following the heavy rains in the Eastern Cape in the OR Tambo District Municipality. A 14-year-old learner died while crossing the Phompo River, and a pregnant woman and her child died after a house fell on her in a village in the Nyandeni Local Municipality. South Africans are furious that rural areas have no infrastructure and blame the deaths on the government.

3 people die, and one goes missing

In a statement sent to Briefly News by OR Tambo District Municipality spokesperson Zimkhitha Macingwane, the municipality confirmed that the 14-year-old sho died drowning while crossing the flooded river in Maqwbevu Village on 17 October. A pregnant woman who lived in Rainy Village outside Libode also died after the house she lived in fell on her, sustaining heavy injuries from which she did not survive.

A 17-year-old teenager went missing in Nkumandeni A/A. SABC News reported that she was swept away while crossing a river on her return from school on the same day.

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“The OR Tambo District Municipality Executive Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana is sending heartfelt condolences to families that have lost their loved ones following the heavy rains in various parts of the district,” Macingwane said.

Netizens furious over deaths

South Africans commenting on Facebook were furious and blamed the deaths on poor infrastructure.

Joseph Somanje asked:

“How can in 2023 people still cross rivers like that? Proper small concrete bridges don’t even cost R250K.”

Mandlendoda Ndazi remarked:

“Sad news. EC always has this news in the summertime.”

Jam Obeth pointed out:

“If there were a bridge in this area, 9 out of 10, these two little school kids would have been alive today.”

Guzman wrote:

“I will always blame the government because their kids don’t experience such things. Why can’t they offer free transport to and from school during these bad weather days?”

Nkosinathi Thilo Hlophe added:

“What infuriates me the most is the fact that the same village will still vote for the ANC.”

Floods in Cape Town damage infrastructure

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that heavy rains, which caused flooding in Cape Town, destroyed roads and infrastructure.