By: Natasha Archary

KwaZulu-Natal government has confirmed the tornado in Tongaat has claimed the lives of 5 people so far.
On Monday, 03 June a tornado swept through the uThongathi area, battering communities and leaving a trail of damage to homes and infrastructure.
The tornado, brought on by instability of the atmosphere around the area, the cut-off low being present over South Africa, the wind share as well as the unstable conditions around KZN, impacted many parts of the province, with the eThekwini Metro the hardest hit.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) confirmed the death of a 39-year old female in Tongaat.
Renisha Govender was killed after a wall collapsed at her home in Tongaat. Her body was retrieved after rubble and debris was cleared.
She sustained life threatening injuries and was pronounced dead on scene.
Dozens of people have been treated for injuries sustained from the tornado in Tongaat, which also brought with it heavy rain, and golf-ball sized hailstones.
A Yellow Level 4 warning for disruptive rains was issued by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) for the province.
Our thoughts with those affected by the Tornado in Tongaat and surrounding areas in KZN https://t.co/VDIvWzZWUu #ArriveAlive @ReenvalSA @afriwx @Dotransport @rtia_aarto @TrafficRTMC @kzngov pic.twitter.com/IBMjvj1T1o
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) June 3, 2024
More visuals of the Tornado and extreme weather recorded in the KZN https://t.co/71EPLaCnWD#ArriveAlive #Tornado #Videos #KZN pic.twitter.com/FfjG4kXjUO
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) June 3, 2024
Other areas around Durban, including Umgababa, Durban Central, and the western parts of the city, also experienced heavy rainfall, leading to flooding of some households and roads.
The strong winds also affected communities in the Amajuba District and Umzinyathi District, where houses were damaged by the strong winds in Newcastle, Dannhauser, Nquthu, and surrounding areas.
Public facilities have been opened as safe havens for the affected communities as the assessment continues. Roads are being cleared using TLBs to ensure that rescue workers are able to attend to the injured.
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