Authorities in New Hanover say the remains of one of the victims swept away during last month’s devastating storm are still awaiting collection, weeks after flash floods claimed three lives in Ward 2 of the Umshwathi Local Municipality.
The heavy downpour in November triggered severe flooding that left officials searching for days. The first victim, a 55-year-old woman from the Eastern Cape, was recovered a day after the storm and has since been taken home by her family.
It took more than a week for rescue teams to locate the remaining two victims. Ward 2 councillor Sikhumbuzo Nxumalo identified one of them as 28-year-old Mbali Ndlela from Ndwedwe, north of Durban.
“She was collected on the 5th and taken to a funeral parlour. Her funeral will be on the 10th, and as Umshwathi Municipality, we will pay our respects to her family because she lived close to our area,” Nxumalo said.
However, the remains of the third victim, 33-year-old Lungile Bhujiswayo, also from the Eastern Cape, remain unclaimed.
“His remains are still at the local police station. Community members who attended the same church and lived with him have been in contact with the family. It’s just a matter of them preparing to come,” Nxumalo explained.
Municipal officials say they remain on standby as they wait for Bhujiswayo’s relatives to travel to KwaZulu-Natal.