A minimum of 9 individuals have died whereas eight others are nonetheless lacking in South Africa after they have been swept away by a flash flood alongside the Jukskei river in Johannesburg, rescue officers mentioned Sunday.

Two our bodies have been recovered on Saturday and an additional seven our bodies have been discovered when the rescue mission was resumed on Sunday morning.

The useless and lacking have been all a part of a congregation conducting non secular rituals alongside the river on Saturday, in accordance with officers.

Rescue groups are conducting interviews with a number of the individuals who survived or have been rescued to ascertain precisely how many individuals are accounted-for.

Johannesburg Emergency Providers spokesman Robert Mulaudzi mentioned Sunday that officers frequently warn residents in regards to the risks of conducting the rituals alongside the river.

“Now we have been receiving numerous rain on the town of Johannesburg within the final three months and a lot of the river streams at the moment are full. Our residents, particularly congregants who usually apply these sorts of rituals, will probably be tempted to go to those river streams,” he instructed a information briefing.

“Our message for them is to train warning as and once they conduct these rituals,” added Mulaudzi.

Congregations typically collect to conduct church rituals together with cleaning and baptism alongside the Jukskei river which runs alongside many townships together with Alexandra within the east of Johannesburg.