‘Swept Away in Seconds’: Msinga Flood Death Toll Rises to Five, One Still Missing

The death toll in the Msinga flood tragedy has risen to five, with one person still missing.

The fifth victim was recovered on Sunday in the eNhlonga area, located in Ward 13 of the Msinga Local Municipality.

The Incident

The tragedy unfolded on Thursday evening when heavy rain caused a bakkie transporting eight occupants to be swept away while attempting to cross the low-lying Mfenebude bridge on the P17 in eNadi, eMabovini.

Two people managed to escape and reach safety. Six others were carried away by the floodwaters.

The Search

On Friday, search and rescue teams recovered the bodies of two women:

• One located in the iNadi River (Msinga)

• The second in the uThukela River in the Nkandla Local Municipality

One of the victims was pregnant.

On Saturday, two more victims were recovered from the uThukela River:

• A woman on the Msinga side

• A man at eMakhabeleni within the uMvoti Local Municipality

The ages of the victims range from 25 to 40.

The Ongoing Effort

“To intensify the ongoing operation, disaster management teams have now deployed drones to assist in searching inaccessible areas along the rivers feeding into the uThukela River,” said KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila.

“The search and recovery operation continued on Monday for the one remaining missing person.”

The Bottom Line

Eight people in a bakkie. A low-lying bridge. Rising water. Seconds later, six were gone.

Two survived. Five are confirmed dead. One is still missing.

The drones are flying. The teams are searching. But for one family, the waiting continuesand hope grows thinner by the hour.