Video | Search for survivors as homes collapse in Springfield, Durban

✔ Fact Checked by TDPel News Desk

By Samantha Allen

Published: April 12, 2022 | 1:17 PM GMT

Neighbours line the street as search and rescue teams comb through rubble at two homes that collapsed in Lotus Road, Springfield for survivors.

Search and rescue and emergency workers combed through rubble at two houses in Springfield, Durban, which collapsed after heavy downpours in the early hours of Tuesday morning, claiming three lives and entrapping others.

SAPS search and rescue, firefighters and paramedics, with the help of neighbours, sifted through mountains of rubble in Lotus Road, Springfield, which was devastated by mudslides.

Scores of neighbours lined the streets and looked on in disbelief as the teams worked furiously in wet conditions to find entrapped family members.

Neighbours said so far, three people — a six-year-old, a 21-year-old and a policewoman — were feared dead when their homes collapsed.

Landlord LeeAnne Govindsamy said three policewomen rented a granny cottage with one of their children, a five-year-old boy.

“We knew the area was flooding and saw the water on the road. It happened so fast around 2am. We couldn’t do anything, the whole thing [granny flat] just collapsed. It just came crashing down.

“The two ladies grabbed the boy and ran into the bathroom, but I think the third lady was trapped. My husband told them to break the window and jump onto our balcony and that’s how they escaped.”

Govindsamy said the policewoman who died was attached to the Durban central police station and her family in Vryheid had not been notified.

One resident said: “We have never seen anything like this in 51 years. We had our hands full at midnight, when we tried to block the sands coming down the massive banks which border the suburb.”

Neighbours said the family of the six-year-old were moved to a relative’s house.

Neighbours line the street as search and rescue teams comb through rubble at two homes that collapsed in Lotus Road, Springfield for survivors.
Video: Mfundo Mkhize pic.twitter.com/eS1y9HwwSv

— Yasantha Naidoo (@yasantha) April 12, 2022

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About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.