Helicopters to bring vital aid to flood-stricken Western Cape towns of Citrusdal and Vredendal. Image: Facebook/Gift of the Givers.
Western Cape floods: Man found dead after refusing to evacuate home
The extreme weather in the Western Cape has claimed at least two lives this week, and another cold front is expected to make landfall soon.
Helicopters to bring vital aid to flood-stricken Western Cape towns of Citrusdal and Vredendal. Image: Facebook/Gift of the Givers.
At least two people have died due to the extreme weather in the Western Cape, the provincial Disaster Management Centre confirmed on Saturday, 17 June.
READ: Western Cape to be buffetted by 100km/h gusts on Sunday and Monday
At least two fatalities in Western Cape floods this week
According to TimesLive, a 64-year-old man was found dead in his home in Vredendal in the Matzikama Local Municipality on Saturday, taking the death toll to two.
Coline Deiner, Western Cape Disaster Management Head, told the publication that approximately 20 people in the affected area in Vredendal had been evacuated, but the deceased opted to stay in his home.
READ: SANDF helicopter called to deliver aid to isolated Western Cape towns
“He was found dead this morning. Unfortunately, we can’t release the names of the two deceased people yet,” said Deiner.
Earlier this week, someone was washed away and drowned when three people attempted to cross the Buffeljags River.
Rescue and relief operations continue in the Western Cape. Helicopters are being used to reach towns, including Citrusdal and Vredendal, that have been cut off from the rest of the province when the floodwater destroyed crucial roads.
READ: Western Cape weather: Level 7 rain WARNING for parts of the province
The extreme flooding is a result of the heavy rainfall associated with a series of cold fronts that made landfall this week. Another cold front is expected to land on Monday, 19 June.
The South African Weather Service’s (SAWS) rainfall chart forecasts widespread showers. Isolated showers are expected on Sunday and Tuesday.
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