Pretoria – The North West Provincial Disaster Management Centre says three bodies have been recovered by rescue teams in Marikana and Mogwase as a result of the recent floods, bringing the total number of people who have drowned in the province in the past two weeks to four.
The bodies of two male adults were recovered in Marikana and the body of a boy was recovered in Mogwase.
The search for the second missing child has been called off after the centre realised that the Mogwase incident involved only one child.
Over 600 hundred people across the province have been temporarily displaced by the floods and seven bridges have been washed away.
North West Premier Thandi Modise appealed to motorists and pedestrians crossing flooding rivers to exercise extreme caution and not to underestimate flood currents. "We appeal to people not to ignore flood warning signs and to use alternative routes. Parents should warn children against swimming in streams," she said.
Premier Modise thanked the Disaster Management Centres, municipalities, law enforcement officers, rescue teams for going the extra-mile to ensure that relief efforts reach those affected by the floods and that social relief of distress grants were processed to deserving families.
She said a comprehensive impact assessment was being done which would inform where intervention and additional support was required. – SAnews.gov.za
