The Western Cape storm death toll has now risen to at least ten following days of severe weather, flooding and dangerous conditions across the province.

The Provincial Health Department confirmed a tenth death in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. It occurred in the Hermanus area, but details are unclear.

It comes after the bodies of three people were recovered during a mass rescue operation on a farm between Worcester and Rawsonville on Tuesday morning.

The National Sea Rescue Institute says teams were called out to a farm near the old N1 roadway, where they found 23 people, including children and babies, on the roofs of farm buildings. It is believed they had been trapped there since Monday.

The Department earlier confirmed six other weather-related deaths in the Western Cape since severe storms and flooding began last week.

Provincial health authorities say four people died after trees fell on them in Knysna, Kenilworth, George and Genadendal.

In the first recorded death, Knysna auxiliary social worker Lauren Fredericks died on 6 May, as she was on her way to conduct assessments of residents who were evacuated due to the adverse weather conditions in the Garden Route area. Shortly after stopping, a tree fell on her car.

In the second reported incident, early on Monday morning, 11 May, amid two Orange Level 8 cold fronts sweeping through the City of Cape Town, a person died after a tree fell onto a vehicle in Tennant Road in the Kenilworth/Wynberg area.

The woman who passed away was a passenger in an e-hailing vehicle. The driver escaped without injuries but was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks.

Later on Monday, Southern Cape police confirmed a 63-year-old woman died in Blanco, George, after a tree fell onto her vehicle in Montagu Street.

Police say she had arrived at her workplace and was parking when the incident occurred. She was reportedly an employee at Fancourt.

Another person died in Worcester after reportedly falling off a roof, while a fatality was reported in Genadendal when a tree fell over.

In Meiringspoort near Klaarstroom, a person is believed to have drowned amid the flooding over the weekend.

Local Government MEC Anton Bredell has extended his sincere condolences to the families, loved ones, and communities affected by these tragic losses.

“We also extend our deepest appreciation to the emergency, rescue, healthcare, disaster management, law enforcement, and municipal teams who continue to respond under extremely difficult conditions. Their efforts are saving lives, supporting affected communities, and helping to keep essential services going during this difficult period.”

The severe weather has caused extensive damage to infrastructure and roads, affecting over 80,000 people in Cape Town alone.

It comes as numerous people are still believed to be cut off by rising floodwaters, especially in rural areas in the Cape Winelands District Municipality, with multiple rescue operations underway.

*This article has been updated since it was first published.

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