JOHANNESBURG, April 13 — The flood death toll in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province has risen to 45, said a government official on Tuesday.
Sipho Hlomuka, a Member of the Executive Council for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, confirmed this on Tuesday afternoon while giving an update on the rains.
It has been raining heavily in KwaZulu-Natal since the weekend, especially in the last 24 hours, which damaged roads, homes, schools, electricity poles, and many government infrastructures.
“The latest reports indicate that over 45 people have lost their lives as a result of the heavy rains, this number could possibly increase as more reports come in. Disaster Management teams are continuing to work around the clock to assist residents that have been trapped as a result of the inclement weather conditions which led to localized flooding of human settlements and roads across the province,” said Hlomuka.
Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality which is under KwaZulu-Natal, told journalists at a press briefing on Tuesday that the rains caused extensive damage which they are working hard to fix.
He said phone calls were ringing the whole night from people seeking help.
In Durban, beaches and pools are closed, bus services have been suspended, and health centers failed to operate on Tuesday. Some teachers and learners had to spend the night in school on Monday night as they were not able to go home.
“Numerous areas have suffered water and electricity outages caused by loss or damage to infrastructure. There are several major high voltage substations that have flooded and are currently inaccessible. Crews will be working in shifts until the high voltage supplies are restored. Some substations will need to be rebuilt and this may cause extended delays,” he said. (Xinhua)
