Reports say hefty snowfall has disrupted movement on South Africa’s roads, leaving people stranded in their vehicles overnight.
Officials say the N3 highway which connects Johannesburg and the East Coast city of Durban was particularly impacted, leading to the closure of several sections and rendering detours inaccessible.
Emergency services were mobilised to reach those stranded in their vehicles, although the number of affected individuals and their condition remains unclear.
“Emergency services have been working flat out through the night. They have been attempting to reach as many roads users as they can,” Dhoogra said.
The government of the KwaZulu-Natal province said in a statement at midday that blankets and meals had been delivered to some stranded motorists.
“Trucks had been parked on the side of the road since Friday”, Road Traffic Management Corporation communications officer Simon Zwane told AFP. “Buses travelling between provinces have been stuck at petrol stations for around seven hours,” he said.
Motorist Muhammad Goolam told the Newzroom Afrika channel that he slept overnight in his car with his children outside the town of Harrismith, around 270 kilometres (170 miles) southeast of Johannesburg.
“Over 13 hours, food supplies out, I don’t see us managing to drive out of here without any assistant from emergency personnel,” he said.
The Arrive Alive road safety campaign said in a post on X that the some areas had seen snowfall up to six feet deep.
South Africa’s Border Management Authority said three border posts with the kingdom of Lesotho has been closed as “the current conditions pose a significant danger.”
Expecting additional snowfall, there are warnings in place for various parts of the country, according to Luthando Masimini, a forecaster with the South African Weather Services. He described it as “an extreme case.”
Apart from the areas at risk, this unusual occurrence attracted people who were eager to witness the snow. Justin Nadasem Baker and his family travelled for three hours from Johannesburg to Warden, which is around 50 kilometres from Harrismith.
“It was a three-hour drive. We are excited. It has been many, many years since we saw snow,” he said.