Two people have gone missing in Chatsworth, outside Malmesbury in the Western Cape, following the collapse of two retention dams that left some areas flooded. Residents in Chatsworth and Riverlands are the hardest hit after the dam walls burst this morning.

WOKE UP TO FLOODING

Gift of the Givers spokesperson, Ali Sablay, said residents woke up to an unpleasant surprise with their homes washed away and others submerged in water. Sablay said that they were the first to respond and activated their crew members on a rescue mission. "Two retention dams above Riverlands Dam in Swartland Municipality District, Cape Town, collapsed in the early hours of this morning, with the inherent danger of a third dam collapsing with the enormous volume of water flowing into that dam. Thousands are displaced with two people missing. More details to follow as daylight increases visibility," Sablay said.

DISTRESS CALLS

Sablay said they received several distress calls. "Gift of the Givers received calls for urgent intervention from the municipality, municipal manager, disaster management and several community members. Our teams with supplies are on the ground. Riverlands Primary School has been handed over to Gift of the Givers as a base from which to set out operations,' Sablay added. The Western Cape has in the last month been hit by adverse weather conditions, resulting in homes being swept away by extensive flooding, damaged infrastructure and power outages.