Five killed in Eastern Cape as snow, heavy rains persist
The accident happened between Braakfontein and Cintsa outside East London on Tuesday morning, 10 June, as heavy downpours and snowfall continue to wreak havoc in most parts of the province.
Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said adverse weather conditions likely played a role as the driver claimed that the accident occurred after he swerved to avoid a tree that had fallen onto the road.
Binqose said the driver lost control of the vehicle and the taxi overturned, resulting in the death of the three adult women and two men.
'The driver and one female passenger were taken to hospital with serious injuries. 'A case of culpable homicide has been opened for further investigations,' he added.
The N2 has since been closed and motorists have been advised to use the Old Transkei Road.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has increased the alert for disruptive rain in the Eastern Cape to an orange level nine.
The weather service had already issued multiple warnings over the weekend for rain, damaging winds, and snow in most parts of the Eastern Cape.
In the latest warning, the weather service said a cut-off low system is expected to persist over the interior of the country, resulting in heavy showers and thundershowers over the eastern half of the Eastern Cape with possible flooding over the OR Tambo District Municipality.
Possible impacts include widespread flooding of roads and settlements, disruption to transport routes and travel services, as well as prolonged disruption to essential services such as water, electricity, and services to communities and schools.
The warning comes as major roads and mountain passes were closed on Monday in the Eastern Cape due to snowfall.
As of 11:00 on Tuesday, this is how things stand: The Penhoek pass on the N6 between Komani & Aliwal North is open for traffic.
The Wapadsberg pass on the R61 between Graaff-Reinet & Cradock is open for traffic.
The Lootsberg pass on the N9 between Graaff-Reinet & Middleburg is open for traffic.
The Cala pass on the R410 has got multiple fallen trees in a couple of positions on the pass, however, authorities are busy clearing them for traffic flow.
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