Two children and an adult man drowned in two separate incidents in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal.

According to cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Sihle Zikalala, in one incident children aged 11 and 12 from Bombolo Primary School were swimming in the Msunduzi River on Tuesday.

Zikalala said a disaster management team from Nongoma municipality responded.

In another incident on the same day in Nongoma, a 21-year-old male drowned while trying to cross a river in Emona.

“As a department, we wish to convey our condolences to the families of the three victims who have suffered a tragic loss,” said Zikalala.

“We reiterate our call for our communities to be cautious around large bodies of water, and appeal to parents and teachers to warn children about the dangers of swimming in rivers and undesignated areas.”

He said the provincial disaster management centre would work closely with all disaster management teams to ensure adequate measures were taken to warn communities about the dangers of large bodies of water.