UPDATE: Rescue after tornado swept through the Vaal Dam, Saturday, 23rd June – 22h43 SAST

UPDATE: All 14 persons from a collapsed thatch roof house in Rose Bay on the Vaal Dam by a tornado are accounted for.

One, a male, aged approximately 19, died on the scene from severe head injuries despite the extensive efforts by Netcare 911 and ER24 paramedics to save his life.

On-scene commander, Kobus van Eeden, station officer of Metsimoholo Fire and Rescue Services, said that the ER24 Medicopter was en-route from Johannesburg to airlift this patient to hospital but after the patient passed away, and with no other serious injuries on-scene, the helicopter was stood down to return to base prior to its arrival on-scene.

One male has been transported to hospital by ambulance suffering a broken arm. A female has been treated with oxygen therapy but does not require to go to hospital. The remaining 12, males and females, suffered various injuries – lacerations, bruising and none require hospitalisation.
None of the 14 were physically trapped under rubble. Their injuries appear to have been sustained from flying debris and by structures collapsing onto the young adults. (Initially it was thought that the young adults were physically trapped due to confusion from some survivors who were reporting their friends missing and suspected to be physically trapped under rubble but a search and rescue operation eventually accounted for all 14).

NSRI Vaal Dam rescue volunteers, Police, Metsimoholo Fire and Rescue Services, Netcare 911 ambulance services, ER24 ambulance services and the GP Provincial Government EMS are continuing to search and assess the area for any additional persons in need of help and to investigate further damage, unstable structures and anyone in need of emergency care.

The house in Rose Bay has been levelled and the contents of the house are strewn over almost 100 meters. In further damage in the area power cables have been ripped out and there appears to be a lot of damage from flying debris but no further injuries are reported thus far.

Reports are being received of 27 persons injured when the same tornado swept through Bethlehem. NSRI have no further details of this.

- NSRI