By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Premier of the North West Province, Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi accompanied by MEC for Health Sello Lehari and Mayor of Moretele Local Municipality, Cllr George Manyike will visit the families of two people killed by lightning whilst attending the Annual Mphebatho Troop Festival at Dertig Sports Ground near Mathibestad.
The incident occurred on Saturday night about 70 kilometres (40 miles) of Pretoria, where a traditional celebration is held every year.
The Department of Health informed that the ones injured were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In a brief statement,” Mokgosi extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes all other affected individuals a speedy recovery.”
The festival was put on hold immediately for safety reasons and to protect everyone at the event, including community members, performers, and officials.
The department reported that additional 36 patients have since been admitted to hospital, bringing the total number of admissions to 49.
Most of the patients treated at the clinic sustained mild burns and were reported to be stable, with the majority having been treated and discharged.
Lehari has commended the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for its swift response to the lightning strike.
“I can confirm that both day and night duty staff were on site. The health professionals on duty included two doctors, four professional nurses, and three enrolled nurses, bringing the total staff complement to 9 to effectively attend to patients. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) support was strengthened through the deployment of two North West EMS ambulances, two Gauteng EMS ambulances, and Planned Patient Transport,” he said.
Meanwhile the South African Weather Service (Saws) issued an orange-level warning and yellow alerts for flooding, strong winds, and heavy rain across Gauteng, Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga for Sunday.
An orange level 5 warning was issued for severe thunderstorms, resulting in flooding of susceptible roads and settlements, and damage to low-lying bridges/areas and infrastructure due to heavy downpours and strong, damaging winds.
“The storms are expected over the eastern parts of the Free State, the eastern parts of the North West, Gauteng, and the western parts of Limpopo, as well as the Highveld of Mpumalanga,” Saws said.