Unusual snowfall caused significant problems today on the road network of South Africa, where by noon local time people remained trapped after spending the night inside their vehicles.
The N3 national highway, which connects Johannesburg to the city of Durban on the eastern coast, was one of the most affected and many sections of it were closed, even though rerouting traffic was impossible, according to authorities.
Emergency services worked throughout the night and continue to do so to provide assistance to people who have been trapped in their cars, but for now it is unknown how many are trapped and in what condition they are, said a spokesperson for the company that manages the highways, Tanya Doogra, to the ENCA television network.
Blankets and meals were distributed to some of the trapped drivers, said the government of the KwaZulu-Natal province in a press release issued today at noon.
Trucks have been parked on the roadside since yesterday and “buses operating between the provinces have been stuck for about 7 hours at fuel stations,” clarified Simone Zwane, a communications officer for the RTMC, the main agency managing road safety in the country, to AFP.
In some areas, snow levels reached up to 2 meters, as reported by the road safety promotion organization Arrive Alive in a post on X.
On its part, the South African border management authority announced that three border posts with Lesotho in the western region were closed due to the “significant risk” posed by the weather conditions.
New snowfall is expected and authorities have issued alerts in various parts of the country, said a meteorologist, Lutando Masimini, to the French Agency, referring to “extreme phenomena.”
SOURCE: AMNA