The death toll in the Jukskei drownings has risen to nine, after seven more bodies were discovered on Sunday morning, 4 December.
On Saturday, 33 church members were attending a baptism ritual along the Jukskei River’s stream when a storm swept away many of them.
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One member of the congregation was rescued, two others drowned, and many others made it back to safety.
Johannesburg Emergency Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed that seven more bodies were recovered on Sunday morning.
They were discovered between Corlett and Grayston Drive. EMS personnel will continue their search throughout the day.
The search teams include the City of Johannesburg EMS, Gauteng EMS, and the South African Police Servic(SAPS), among others.
Mulaudzi explained that Johannesburg has received a lot of rain, causing most of the rivers to overflow.
While Mulaudzi did not discourage congregants from performing these rituals, he did caution them.
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Bodies have been discovered in locations other than the stream where they went missing, which is thought to be due to the strong current.
Mulaudzi said that EMS’s public education efforts needed to be stepped up. He also said that residents will see them a lot more as they educate them on emergency situations.
