Death toll rises to 395 in South Africa due to floods

Pretoria, Apr 15 (Prensa Latina) South African authorities reported that the death toll in the southeastern province of KwaZulu Natal has risen to 395 due to the heavy rains and floods that have affected that territory since the beginning of the week.

April 15, 2022
CDT11:27 (GMT) -0400

Published by: Alina Ramos Martin

Noting that most of the deaths (355) occurred in the city of Durban, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sipho Hlomuka, said that in the areas affected by the windstorms also more than 40,700 people left their homes.

The persistent rains also caused the disappearance of an undetermined number of civilians, the destruction of residential buildings, sections of roads and flooding of schools and interruptions in the electric service, among other damages, the source said.

In assessing the damage caused by the storm, the mayor of the town of Thekwini, Mxolosi Kaunda, said that in the metropolitan area and the city of Durban the material losses amounted to more than 50 million dollars.

Earlier, President Ciryl Ramaphosa lamented the disaster situation in the territory of KwaZulu Natal, while rescue teams were deployed to various locations to assist vulnerable people.

Data from government agencies stated that in 2019 this African country suffered the impact of heavy storms that left 85 people dead and several injured.

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