A woman died when a tree fell on her vehicle in Knysna on Wednesday morning.
- A woman died when a tree fell on her vehicle in Knysna on Wednesday morning.
- Police said her body was retrieved and that a portion of the road was closed.
- The Garden Route is experiencing severe weather conditions that are expected to last until Thursday.
A 37-year-old woman died on Wednesday when a tree collapsed on her vehicle in Knysna amid severe weather conditions in the Garden Route.
Authorities said the victim had been parked under the large tree when it fell.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies said the woman’s body “was retrieved from her vehicle”.
According to Spies, when emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene, they found the vehicle with the driver “trapped inside”.
“A portion of the road remains closed while mop-up operations are still under way,” Spies added.
The region has been lashed by severe weather, particularly in the eastern areas where rivers have begun to swell and spill over.
READ | Heavy rains lash KZN: Homes damaged, accidents reported, and emergency lines affected
According to the head of Garden Route Disaster Management, Gerhard Otto, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, along with parts of the Langkloof, were among the hardest hit.
In Plettenberg Bay, the Piesang Valley River burst its banks, flooding areas near the lower parking zones next to the Beacon Isle Hotel.
“Some residents living along the river have been evacuated and are being accommodated in nearby community halls,” said Otto.
Officials also reported damage to key infrastructure, including sewer pump stations and parts of the water system. Engineering teams are working to restore services.
Authorities urged the public to remain cautious because the conditions are dangerous.
Otto said:
We would like to advise the public to avoid big trees and not to park under them.
He added that the weather could cause trees to be uprooted, especially with strong winds.
Wind gusts of up to 56km/h are expected to continue throughout the day, increasing the risk of falling trees and debris.
Motorists have also been warned to avoid unnecessary travel, as several roads have become flooded, slippery or inaccessible.
“Our roads at this point – some are flooded, some are very slippery and inaccessible,” Otto said.
Otto added that the rain was expected to persist for the remainder of Wednesday, with an additional 30 to 50mm forecast for eastern parts of the district.
READ | At least 120 Western Cape schools to close following severe weather warnings
Meanwhile, power utility Eskom said there were widespread unplanned power outages, which affected people in Plettenberg Bay, Oudtshoorn and surrounding areas.
“At this stage, Eskom technicians are unable to safely access and attend to faults due to hazardous weather conditions. Restoration work will only commence once it is safe for teams to do so. An estimated time of restoration is not yet available,” Eskom added.
The public has been urged to treat all electrical installations as live.
