SEVERE thunderstorm that hit the northern parts of KZN once again on Monday, 5 February, claimed the life of a pupil.
The pupil from Mandlamasha Primary School in Dannhauser was on her way home with her two friends when she was struck by lightning.
According to KZN Cogta, the severe weather also left a trail of destruction in Ulundi, Vryheid, Dannhauser, and Estcourt.
Cogta spokesman Siboniso Mngadi said KZN Provincial Disaster Management teams are responding to the trail of destruction caused by severe thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds and lightning in the areas of Dannhauser, Estcourt, Vryheid, and Ulundi.
"Sadly, another life has been lost due to severe weather after three pupils of Mandlamasha Primary School, in Dannhauser under Amajuba District, were struck by lightning on their way home from school on Monday. Unfortunately, one pupil died on the post while the other two were rushed to hospital where they are recovering," he said.
KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, expressed condolences to the family of the departed pupil and wishes a speedy recovery to the hospitalised pupils.
ALSO READ | Stepson 'kills' taxi owner and family
"It's deeply sad that such a young person has left us in a tragic manner. Our disaster team will reach out to the families as per our normal procedure to assist families affected by such incidents," said MEC Sithole-Moloi.
She said several houses in the mentioned areas were severely impacted as the strong wind tore roofs apart, causing damage to the valuables of many families. Public infrastructure was not spared from the disasters, as power lines were destroyed by the strong winds, resulting in power outages in some areas.
"Our initial reports suggest that the most affected areas were Wembezi in Estcourt, under the Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality, which was damaged by thunderstorms and strong winds; Nhlazatshe in Ulundi, damaged by strong winds; and Ozwathini and Mhlongo farm under Abaqulusi Local Municipality, which were damaged by the hailstorm," she said.
MEC Sithole-Moloi has instructed disaster teams to work with all affected municipalities.
