A Rushing Wall of Water, Then a Desperate Search

What is typically a quiet spot for locals to gather near the water under a train bridge outside Middelburg turned into the focus of a large-scale emergency response on Sunday. A sudden, powerful surge of water raced down the Klein Olifants River after a sluice gate at the nearly-full Middelburg Dam was opened to manage capacity, sparking fears that one or more people may have been swept away.

The incident caused initial confusion, with emergency radio traffic and social media incorrectly listing the N4 highway as the location. The scene was later confirmed to be on the R104 (old Belfast road), just past the Big 5 complex, near the train bridgea known social spot.

A Rapid Response to a “Serious Risk”

Police, ambulance crews, and specialist divers were urgently deployed to the river. The fast-flowing current, created by the controlled release from the dam, presented what responders described as a “serious risk.” At the time of reporting, officials had not confirmed the number of people involved or whether any rescues had been made.

The Steve Tshwete Local Municipality provided critical context, confirming the Middelburg Dam’s capacity was at 97%. To manage this, one sluice gate was re-opened to a 3000mm setting late on Saturday night (6 December at 23:00), which led to the sudden rise in river levels downstream on Sunday.

A Community Holds Its Breath

With emergency vehicles lining the R104 and divers scouring the water, the mood at the scene was one of tense hope and prayer. Multiple community and emergency groups shared messages of support for the rescue teams and for any potential victims.

This remains a developing situation. The search operation continues as authorities work to ascertain if anyone was caught in the unexpected surge at the popular but now perilous riverside spot. Updates are expected as the rescue mission unfolds and official information is released.

{Source: Citizen}

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