Africa-Press – Eswatini. Sudden change in weather patterns, from extreme hot days to heavy rains at night and morning in Mbabane and surrounding areas resulted in flooding.
Residents of Mbabane and surrounding areas experienced flooding that resulted in some being stranded at different bridges as they could not reach their destinations. Parents and pupils failed to get to work and school whilst those who managed to cross were later stranded on the other side as they could not return home.
The Mbuluzi bridge that connects to Mbabane and Mbuluzi, ka-Shumpu, Dlozini and Maphalaleni was yesterday flooded leaving all that use it stranded on river banks.
Some residents disclosed to the Saturday Observer that in the morning they managed to use the bridge but when they returned in the afternoon the bridge was already flooded as the water levels continued to rise.
“We have been here since around 10:30am. if the rain stops, we hope we will be able to cross as we monitor the water levels,” said one resident of Mbuluzi.
Two pupils from different schools in Mbabane also shared the same challenge. “We managed to use the bridge in the morning but it was already late for us to get to school as it was raining hard and we failed to get transport,” said one pupil.
They claimed that when their transport arrived in the morning they boarded, crossed the bridge but when they reached Mbuluzi high school where they usually connect they realised it was late and decided to return home. By that time the Mbuluzi bridge was flooded.
The Saturday Observer had been following a video that was shared as residents of Pine Valley tried to cross small streams that were full, forcing some motorists to risk their lives with water levels rising.
Streets of Mbabane and other distributor roads were not spared as they were full of debris and mud in the morning.
However, the Municipal Council of Mbabane swiftly dispatched their team to clear the roads by lunchtime.
Residents of Mbuluzi found stranded by the river bank claimed the sudden flooding was as a result of the overflow from Hawane dam.
Construction continued at the Matsapha lifestyle cenre as the Great Usuthu River was swelling with the Mbabane River and other streams depositing water.
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