Unusually heavy snowfall in South Africa

Nature "makes its head" everywhere in the world. Unusual weather phenomena are encountered at every turn. A 39-year-old woman has died of hypothermia after being stuck overnight in a minibus on a road badly affected by unusually heavy snow in eastern South Africa. The tragic incident came amid a snowstorm that hit the region paralyzing traffic on several major roads, including the N3, one of the country's main routes, linking Johannesburg to the east coast city of Durban.

According to the authorities, traffic was completely blocked for a distance of about 30 kilometers. The rescue operations were carried out in extremely difficult conditions, especially in the Van Reenen Pass area, located in the Drakensberg Mountains, 330 kilometers southeast of Johannesburg. Midlands EMS spokesman Roland Robertson told AFP the woman, along with other passengers, had been stuck in a minibus-taxi, spending the night from Friday to Saturday in extremely cold conditions. Without blankets or other protective equipment against the cold, the passengers were not prepared for such a situation. The woman was transported to the hospital, where she died of hypothermia. The snow-affected region also includes the town of Mooiplaas, about 430 kilometers from Johannesburg. Authorities began to escort some vehicles out of the blocked area, but the rescue process was complicated by the presence of abandoned or damaged cars, which prevented the access of snow removal equipment. As of Sunday, authorities were unable to provide an exact number of people and vehicles still stuck in traffic. In some regions, the snow cover reached up to two meters, according to the road safety organization "Arrive Alive", which provided information on the social network X. The situation highlighted the need for better preparation for such unusual weather phenomena. in the region, which surprised both authorities and travelers.