Clean-up operations have begun in Mpophomeni in KwaZulu-Natal after heavy rains severely damaged a petrol station and injured two people.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said disaster management teams were dispatched to the area after rain and hail also battered houses.

“It severely damaged a petrol station yesterday afternoon which collapsed and damaged four cars and injured two people, who were rushed to the nearest hospital.”

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He said disaster management teams will assess the extent of the damage.

“[I] urge residents to exercise extreme caution as inclement weather conditions continue to pose a serious danger to human life. Since the beginning of the year, the province has experienced a number of incidents, which have cost human lives and caused millions of rand’s worth of damage.”

Hlomuka also called on parents and teachers to ensure that scholars avoid flooded walkways and rivers on their way to school and back.