Heavy Rain Hits Mpumalanga: Authorities Warn Public After Three Fatalities
- Three fatalities and one missing person were reported after floods in Mpumalanga
- This comes as persistent heavy rainfall continues to swell rivers and streams in the province
- Authorities warned the public to avoid crossing flooded rivers and bridges amid ongoing rainfall
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
MPUMALANGA - Three people have died, and another remains missing, following separate flood-related incidents reported across Mpumalanga.
Three dead in Mpumalanga flooding
In the first incident, a 19-year-old man drowned after attempting to cross a river in Louisville on the evening of 1 January 2026. Police said the teenager had been at a local tavern with his two brothers before deciding to walk home alone. It is suspected that strong water currents overwhelmed him while he was crossing the river. His body was discovered the following morning by community members and family, and he was formally identified by his uncle.
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In a second incident, a woman lost her life after a vehicle was swept away by floodwaters along Lilly Mine Road late on 1 January 2026. Police said two men and a woman were travelling in a red-and-blue Toyota Condor when the vehicle was caught in fast-flowing water while crossing a bridge. The two male occupants managed to escape, but the woman was unable to do so. Her body was recovered on 2 January 2026.
Source: Twitter
Rivers and streams dangerously full
Middelburg police are also investigating the drowning of a teenage girl who died on 2 January 2025. According to reports, a group of teenagers were attempting to cross to a newly built RDP house when the girl was swept away by floodwaters. Police divers and the Fire Department responded to the scene, but she was certified dead on arrival. Her body was taken to Forensic Pathology Services for further investigation.
In a fourth incident, a 27-year-old man remains missing after attempting to cross a flooded bridge from Nhlaba to the Manaar area in Ekulindeni at about 6 pm on 1 January 2026. Police said he was swept away by overflowing water following heavy rainfall. Community members searched for him without success, and the Mpumalanga SAPS Diving Unit has continued search operations.
The acting provincial police commissioner in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, has urged the public to exercise extreme caution, warning that flowing water should never be underestimated. He said ongoing rainfall has left rivers and streams dangerously full, increasing the risk of flood-related incidents, and called on communities to avoid crossing flooded rivers and bridges.
Beach drownings leave one dead and three missing
In another article, Briefly News reported that five people were swept out to sea at Pennington Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, leaving one person dead and three still missing.
Emergency services responded, rescuing one swimmer and recovering a body before the search was halted overnight and resumed on Friday morning, 2 January 2026. Authorities have urged the public to respect lifeguard warnings and swim only at protected beaches as safety concerns mount during the festive season.
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Source: Briefly News
