The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a disaster area by the authorities due to severe floods that caused the death of over 200 people, local media reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2022) The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a disaster area by the authorities due to severe floods that caused the death of over 200 people, local media reported on Wednesday.
The death toll has grown significantly from 59 victims reported earlier in the day to at least 253 people, Eyewitness news broadcaster said, adding that disaster relief work continues.
Declaring the province a disaster area will ease extricating funds for rescue operations, KwaZulu-Natal government spokesperson Lennox Mabaso was cited as saying by the media.
Earlier in the day, KwaZulu-Natal emergency services spokesperson Robert Mckenzie said that disaster management teams had been evacuating people from the areas experiencing mudslides and flooding. According to Mckenzie, structural collapses of buildings, roads and power lines are observed in the region. The spokesman has recommended that local residents to stay indoors if possible.
Intense rainfalls have been continuing in KwaZulu-Natal since Monday night. The municipality of eThekwini and the city of Durban are considered the hardest-hit.
