S. Africa’s flood death toll rises to 395

JOHANNESBURG, April 16 — A total of 395 people have been killed by flood in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province since Monday, a government official said on Friday.
As of Friday, a total of 40,723 people have been affected, and the latest number of fatalities stands at 395, Sipho Hlomuka, a member of the Executive Council for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, briefed the media about the recent floods.
Over 4,000 law enforcement members have been deployed to the affected areas to support relief efforts and maintain law and order. Staffs are busy repairing damaged infrastructure like roads, water supply, sanitation, and electricity, he said.
According to the South African Weather Service, more rainfall is expected in parts of the province in the coming days.
“Damaging winds are forecast for areas along the coast from midday today into Saturday evening. Disruptive rain is forecast,” Hlomuka said.
In line with the disaster management plan, provincial and municipal disaster management teams are on high alert to respond to communities known to be at high risk to avert and minimize the disaster impact, Hlomuka added.
Since the weekend, it has been raining heavily in KwaZulu-Natal, which has damaged roads, homes, schools, electricity poles, and many government infrastructures. (Xinhua)