Rescue teams pull woman's body from KZN river, search continues for 2 more missing people

Search and rescue teams in KwaZulu-Natal have retrieved the body of a woman from a river in New Hanover, one of the areas hardest hit after heavy rains lashed parts of the province on Sunday.

Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) confirmed that the woman's body was recovered from a river in Shiyasi.

Teams will continue their search for two more missing people.

Cogta reported that disaster management teams have been deployed to the flood-ravaged uMshwathi Local Municipality following inclement weather conditions.

"The severe weather has resulted in localised flooding, particularly within the New Hanover area. Reports indicate that three people were swept away. Disaster management personnel are currently on-site and working closely with search and rescue units to locate the missing individuals," added MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

Meanwhile, the South African Weather Services (Saws) has issued a Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms over KZN.

"This weather pattern will produce heavy downpours, hail, and excessive lightning that will lead to flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas, and bridges, as well as hail in some parts," the forecaster warned.

Affected areas: Limpopo, except for the central parts and Lowveld, southern parts of Gauteng, Mpumalanga escarpment, and the extreme south-west, as well as the north-western parts of KZN.

IOL