Military chopper evacuates guests in flooded South African hotel

A military helicopter was deployed to rescue some 70 guests stranded in a hotel located in an upscale part of South Africa’s Guateng Province.

Video footage uploaded to social media on Monday (December 9) shows vehicles being swept away by flooding in the South African municipality of Centurion.

The hotel in question, Centurion Hotel is a four-star facility that is centrally located between the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria. According to local media, emergency services had rescued at least five other people.

Reports also said that severe wet weather across the Gauteng province has caused the floods, and rainy conditions are likely to persist until Wednesday (December 11).

Part of the Southern African nation is experiencing heavy rains which has led to emergency services having to move in an rescue persons stranded by the rains. A tornado recently tore through the Kwa Zulu Natal province claiming lives and wreaking havoc.

In next door Madagascar, a tropical Cyclone Belna made a landfall in north-western Soalala district, a local newspaper Gazetiko has reported.

The report said over 85% of the district is already flooded, and several homes and government buildings have been destroyed.

Cyclone Belna comes days after at least two people were killed when Cyclone Pawan made landfall in northern Somalia.