News24 reports that reported on Wednesday the search for three people was still under way in the Jan du Toit’s River, a few kilometers from Worcester.
The trio were among six people who disappeared after the tractor trailer transporting them plunged into the river on Sunday. The bodies of three people, a 30-year-old man and two children, were recovered on Monday. Breede Valley Local Municipality community and services director Jonathan Marthinus reported: “Eight people tried to cross the river while there was strong flooding. These eight people were trying to collect firewood across the bridge, using the tractor as their transport.” Only two of the eight managed to swim to safety. The municipality’s spokesperson Johann Botha said: “We live on farms, which forces our people to use firewood to warm themselves, especially now that the Cape is experiencing a cold front.”
- Read this report by Sisonke Mlamla in full at Cape Argus
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