WATCH | Four have narrow escape as taxi swept away in flooded KZN river

Four people narrowly escaped death after the taxi they were travelling in on Wednesday was swept away in Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg, paramedic services have said.

"Flash flooding from the heavy rain in the area meant the normally calm stream had burst over the top of the bridge, taking the taxi with it. Luckily, a series of concrete bollards caught the vehicle before it dropped further over into the deeper water," ER24 spokesperson Ross Campbell said on Wednesday evening.

He said two men had managed to climb to safety, but two others, a man and a woman, had been swept away.

"By the time ER24 were on the scene just before 6pm, Search and Rescue had managed to pull the two others from the reeds further down the river."

Campbell said all four were treated on the scene for minor cuts and abrasions.

"The lady who had been in the water the longest was found to be suffering from mild hyperthermia. ER24 transported two, and another service on the scene transported the other two through to Edendale Hospital for further care."

KwaZulu-Natal has been pummeled with heavy rains and a tornado in the Empolweni area in New Hanover since Monday.

Five people have been confirmed killed since the storms began. A severe storm warning was sent out by authorities on Wednesday for torrential rain expected on Thursday.