The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning of thundershowers, which can be expected across Gauteng on Friday afternoon
A Global petrol station roof has collapsed due to a severe storm that hit Sharpville, Vereeniging, on Friday afternoon. In videos that have been circulating on social media, the side of the collapsed roof can be seen resting on taxis and trucks.
Petrol attendants rush to the scene to assist, though they can’t do much to help the situation.
According to ER24, two men sustained minor injuries.
“At approximately 13h50, ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene to find that a roof of a service station had collapsed on a small bus, a taxi and a light motor vehicle. The drivers and passengers had taken refuge in the nearby shop.
“Medics assessed the patients and found that two men, believed to be in their 20s, had sustained only minor injuries. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalities were found,” said ER24 in a statement.
It is believed that the heavy rains and hail played a contributing factor in the cause of the collapse. Local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.
See the videos shared on social media below:
Another view of the Global Garage in Vereeniging that collapsed due to heavy rainfall earlier. pic.twitter.com/TkzxSjtTpg
— Storm Report SA (@StormReportSA1) November 20, 2020
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a warning of thundershowers, which can be expected across Gauteng on Friday afternoon.
The SAWS confirmed that scattered thundershowers would occur in the southern regions of Gauteng, namely Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, and surrounds.
Isolated thundershowers are expected in northern parts of the province, which include Bronkhorstspruit, Centurion, Pretoria, Midrand, and other areas.
The weather might persist throughout the rest of the weekend.
The North West province, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal are also likely to experience thundershowers.
The weather also cautioned that the thundershowers could bring with them the possibility of localised flooding in low-lying areas and the risk of damage to cars on the roads, as well as critical infrastructure.
This could cause damage to both informal and formal settlements and houses, and business structures.
“Localised flooding of susceptible roads, low-lying areas and bridges in expected. Minor vehicle accidents expected due to reduced visibility and slippery roads and disruption to peak morning traffic should be expected.”
