Floods in eastern South Africa leave 341 dead

Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in the KwaZulu-Natal province of eastern South Africawhich includes the city of Durban, and more downpours are forecast in the coming days.

The death toll is expected to rise as dozens of people, including entire families, are missing, authorities said Thursday.

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Persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying homes, causing buildings to collapse and washing away sections of major highways.

Damage to the city of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is estimated at $52 million, eThekwini Mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said.

At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more than $26 million. Given this, the authorities decided to temporarily close all classrooms in the province.

At least 18 students and a teacher in various schools have died in the floods, Education Minister Angie Motshekga said.

“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are already affected,” Motshekga said in a statement.

Police used stun grenades to disperse residents of the Reservoir Hills area of ​​Durban protesting what they say is a lack of official help, national media reported.

The South African National Defense Force has deployed soldiers to help with rescue and clean-up operations.

Flooding has left much of Durban and the eThekwini metropolitan area without water and electricity, and it will take at least a week to restore these services, officials said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called an emergency cabinet meeting to declare the flooding a national disaster so he can release funds to help repair the damage. On Wednesday he visited several affected areas.

Fourteen crocodiles that washed away from a farm in the Tongaat area north of Durban have been recaptured, wildlife officials said.

Source: Elcomercio

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