Uprooted tree crashes on bakkie
Timber! Van smashed by tree on M3 near UCT
A driver and his passenger are lucky to be alive after a moerse tree fell onto the bakkie they were driving in on Monday.
The SA Weather Service’s (SAWS) level 5 weather warning was skaars koud when pictures of the uprooted boom that landed on the bonnet started circulating on social media.
The incident brought traffic to a standstill on Princess Anne Avenue and Hospital Bend near Rosebank.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the occupants were fortunate to have escaped unharmed.
The men were on their way to work when the tree uprooted due to adverse weather conditions over the past few days and landed on their vehicle.
“One lane was closed to traffic, staff noted damage to the concrete barrier and electrical wires were down as well,” Carelse said.
The SAWS issued a weather warning following yesterday’s damaging winds, adding that the cold fronts the province has been experiencing could potentially cause more damage to formal and informal housing structures, as well as electrical and communication infrastructure and uproot trees.
Spokesperson Charlotte Powell said that since the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre’s update on Sunday, additional reports were received via the Disaster Operations Centre.
“There were reports of flooded roadways in Uitsig and Silversands, as well as flooding in Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi, and damage to the roof of a house in Hanover Park,” Powell added.
While City departments are still busy with mop-up operations across all affected areas, she explained that the rise in water levels means that electricity kiosks are at risk of flooding.
According to the SAWS heavy rain is expected to be followed by freezing temperatures tomorrow, after which conditions are expected to improve.