Africa-Press – South-Africa. Search and rescue crews have recovered 14 bodies from the Jukskei River after a group of people were swept away during a baptism ceremony in the river on Saturday evening.
Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services (EMS) said they were searching for a group of people after they were swept away in Alexandra.
Two bodies were recovered on Saturday, with another 12 recovered on Sunday.
EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said crews would be returning to the area on Monday to continue the search for the remaining missing people.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that as many as 18 people may have been swept away in the flash flood.
On Saturday, the rescue crew located the bodies of a woman and a teenage girl. Another woman was rescued near Arkwright Avenue and taken to hospital.
On Sunday, they recovered the bodies of three men, six women, a girl, a boy, and a toddler.
“It has not been ruled out that one or more cases may not be related to the church baptism and may be from isolated incidents that had not been reported. Investigations are continuing,” said Lambinon.
The incident comes only a week after Limpopo police sent out a plea for people to be cautious around bodies of water, following 20 drownings in just two months.
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