“We recovered two bodies yesterday and another seven today,” said emergency services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi. That number is likely to rise as the search and rescue operation continues. One person was taken to hospital.
Mulaudzi said 33 worshipers gathered on Saturday for the baptismal ritual on the banks of the Jukskei, a river in Bramley Park, a suburb of Johannesburg. A sudden storm caused a tidal wave and strong currents, he explained.
In June, four people drowned during baptism ceremonies in the Limpopo province and during Easter this year, the Department of Water and Water Treatment issued a special warning against holding baptisms in rivers.
Mulaudzi asked churches that hold such ceremonies to be more aware of the storms and floods that often occur during the summer months.