Welcome rain leads to traffic snarl-ups
Gauteng roads were in chaos after more than 100mm of rain fell in just 24 hours.
|||Johannesburg - Gauteng roads were in chaos on Thursday morning as motorists grappled with the result of more than 100mm of rain falling in 24 hours.
Flooded roads, uprooted trees and accidents left motorists frustrated, with some having to wait hours to get to work.
Tshwane emergency medical services said at least two cars were swept away while trying to cross the same low-lying bridge in Centurion early on Thursday.
Paramedics at the scene said they reached one vehicle but it was too dangerous to get to the other one because of the strong current. It was unclear whether anyone was in the vehicle as only the roof was visible.
Also in Centurion, a bizarre accident involving two cars and a truck on the N1 near Botha Avenue left motorists aghast as one of the vehicles ended up balanced on the barrier between the two sides of the highway.
Emer-G-Med spokesman Maxwell Cohen said that miraculously, no one was injured in the crash.
On Wednesday night, a taxi accident in Sandton left four people injured and the driver in a serious condition.
“The taxi driver suffered serious injuries to his legs and required advanced life-support care,” Cohen said, adding that the other three patients sustained moderate injuries.
A 14-year-old schoolboy was critically injured when he was hit by a taxi in Louis Botha Avenue, Houghton, on Thursday.
In Rivonia, 11 people were injured after a taxi rear-ended a truck on the N1.
On Wednesday night, one person was killed and five others were injured after a truck overturned on the N14 near Lanseria.
ROADS FLOODED
Motorists complained bitterly as parts of Braamfontein, the M1, Katlehong and the R25 in Kaalfontein were flooded, forcing them to find alternative routes, most of which were gridlocked because of the wet weather.
Trees uprooted in the rains obstructed traffic in several streets. This included Oxford Road and the M1 South, both of which are already dealing with obstructions due to the M1 rehabilitation project.
Joburg metro police department spokesman Superintendent Wayne Minnaar appealed to motorists to maintain a safe following distance and to keep their headlights on at all times.
The South African Weather Service on Thursday issued a warning for heavy rain and localised flooding in Gauteng. The warning is also for the southern and high-lying areas of Limpopo.
Forecaster Vanetia Thakula said rain could also be expected in many areas that had been severely affected by drought - including parts of Mpumalanga, the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal and south-western parts of North West - into the weekend.
The wet weather will persist in Gauteng into the first half of next week, but the rainfall might decrease.
The Star