Heavy rain linked to four fatal crashes in KwaZulu‑Natal as province issues weather warnings

KwaZulu‑Natal emergency services were dealing with multiple fatal road crashes during heavy rain on 18 September 2026, authorities said, as poor visibility, wet roads and flooding were cited as contributing factors.

Four people killed across two KwaZulu‑Natal crashes

KwaZulu‑Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said provincial teams were responding after four people died in separate accidents on KZN roads. The incidents occurred on the N2 near Umkuze and on the R66 between Gingindlovu and Eshowe.

One crash on the N2 in Umkuze, in the Umkhanyakude District, involved a truck and a light motor vehicle. Two people died in that collision and an infant was seriously injured, Duma said.

On the R66, about 5km past the Road Traffic Inspectorate offices in Gingindlovu in the direction of Eshowe, two people died and two others were seriously injured. A preliminary RTI report said the steering of a truck carrying a mounted drilling machine allegedly locked while the vehicle was in motion, causing it to veer into the opposite lane.

Weather and response

Duma said roving teams from the Road Traffic Inspectorate and Human Settlements were monitoring high‑risk locations, and that poor visibility, wet roads and flooding had been cited as the main causes of many accidents reported across KwaZulu‑Natal, including on the N2 and N3.

“As prolonged rainfall continues to wreak havoc in KwaZulu‑Natal, I received a report at 4 am this morning detailing the work of dedicated teams from the Road Traffic Inspectorate and Human Settlements,”

Duma offered condolences to the families of the four people who died in what he described as separate, horrific accidents involving trucks.

Related fatal crash in Mpumalanga

Separately, eight people including two children were killed in a head‑on collision on the N17 near Ermelo in Mpumalanga in the early hours of 13 September 2026. The crash involved a Toyota and a Volkswagen and occurred at about 1:30am, provincial officials said.

Mpumalanga Community Safety spokesperson Moeti Mmusi said seven of the deceased were occupants of the Volkswagen and the eighth was the driver of the Toyota. The cause of that crash was unknown at the time of the report and an investigation had commenced.

Officials urge caution

Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Jackie Macie urged motorists to adjust driving to prevailing weather and road conditions and to exercise greater vigilance when visibility is affected.

“Motorists must obey the rules of the road and adjust their driving in line with prevailing weather and road conditions. Greater vigilance is a must, especially when visibility is affected,”

Authorities continue to consolidate reports from teams monitoring flood‑prone settlements and high‑risk areas as the province manages the effects of prolonged rainfall.