The OR Tambo District Municipality has confirmed the discovery of two bodies of children who went missing after being washed away by floods that hit Coffee Bay last week.
Four other people are still missing according to the district municipality.
Both bodies, a four-year-old girl, and her six-year-old sister were discovered today, February 20, through a joint operation between police and the community of Coffee Bay.
“The two young girls and their mother were swept away by floods that washed away their house while they were sleeping on Friday night, [February 17], at Lutshini village,” said OR Tambo District Municipality spokesperson, Zimkhita Macingwane.
“Another pair of siblings, two boys aged five and seven from Qhogi village are still missing after they drowned while crossing a flooded stream with their mother and their older sister. They were returning from a nearby clinic on Friday,” Macingwane added.
The district municipality has urged members of the community to remain vigilant and avoid crossing flooded rivers and streams as well as utilising damaged bridges.
Meanwhile, the body of a 24-year-old woman from Mapuzi village has not been recovered after floods came into a house she was sleeping and was washed away while she tried to escape through a window.
Several bridges and a local high school are some of the critical infrastructure that is reported to have been washed away by the floods.
OR Tambo District Municipality executive mayor, Mesuli Ngqondwana and King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality executive mayor, Nyaniso Nelani are expected to visit the Coffee Bay area today to assess the damage and join in the search for missing people.
