Vehicle swept off bridge in Pretoria during Gauteng floods
Emergency services in Tshwane are trying to recover a car that was swept off a low water bridge over the Apies River, north of Pretoria.
EMS spokesperson Johan Pieterse said they were trying new ways to reach the vehicle.
"Nobody spoke to our members yet to say 'that is my vehicle', so we presume that there might be somebody in, but let's hope that person managed to escape," Pieterse said.
Eyewitness Marius Hamel said he saw the car being swept into the river.
"As I got to the Apies River crossing I saw that there was no way I was going to get over it. As I turned around I saw a car coming from the other side. I don't know what went through the guy's head, but he tried to cross the river and it just swept him over the side into the river. I can report that they are still in the rover," he said.
READ: Body of Limpopo man swept away by floods recovered
Hamel said motorists needed to understand the strength of the current during periods of heavy rainfall.
"When it rains like this in Pretoria North, all the water caught up in the drains and in the streets eventually gets channelled to the Apies River. You won't believe it, it's serious. I've got an idea it's going to get a hell of a lot worse," Hamel said.
Meanwhile, the South African Weather Service said Pretoria recorded close to 80 mm of rainfall overnight, while Irene and Centurion recorded more than 100 mm of rain.
The weather services' Jacqueline Modika said more rainfall was expected.
"Good rain is expected to continue as the day progresses. We just have about a 30% to 60% chance of showers to persist as the system is currently busy moving out eastwards," Modika said.
Rainfall is expected in Mpumalanga and Limpopo on Friday
Edited by Gerda de Sousa