Johannesburg - The tally of guest rooms at the Sun City Resort near Rustenburg in the North West damaged during Saturday afternoon's severe hail storm stands at about 200, according to a resort official.
"The whole thing happened in a matter of about 20 to 30 minutes. Luckily there were no fatalities, and until further notice there will be no checking in [of guests] taking place," public relations and communications manager Tshepang Motsekuoa said on Sunday.
One of the most severely damaged areas was the Sun Soho Hotel. The cost of the damage had not yet been determined. The hotel was booked to capacity and reimbursements could possibly be made, she said.
Guests had to be evacuated and accommodated in nearby guesthouses around Mogwase and Ledig after the storm hit the holiday resort at 4.30pm on Saturday afternoon. Mogwase and Ledig are close to Sun City, but were not affected by the hail storm.
Some cars in the parking lot were still covered with debris and ice on Sunday as mopping up operations were under way. The most damaged areas were the Sun Soho Hotel, The Cascades, Palace of the Lost City, Sun Cabanas, The Vacation Club, and the top floor at the Sun Central building.
Power had been cut off in many of the hotels, leaving escalators and the sky train immobile. Day visitors have been flocking into the resort since Sunday morning. Both the Gary Player Golf Course and the Lost City Golf Course were closed on Sunday for urgent repairs.