Rescuers in South Africa are still searching for the dozens who remain missing in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province after heavy rains and large scale floods ravaged the area, leaving more than 440 dead.
The floods in KZN left thousands of people homeless, and disrupted power and water supply in one of South Africa’s busiest ports, Durban.
The overall infrastructure damage in the province is estimated to be at 10 billion rand ($684.6 million), Reuters reported citing a provincial official.
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The latest death toll in the KZN province stands at 443, with as many as 63 people unaccounted for, including several children.
However, the survivors are enduring and have not given up hope yet.
“We haven’t lost hope. Although we are constantly worried as (the) days continue,” Sbongile Mjoka, a resident of Sunshine village in the eThekwini municipality, told Reuters. Mjoka’s 8-year-old nephew has been missing for several days.
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In the nearby village of Sibiya, three members of a family perished in wall collapse due to heavy rain. Another member, a 4-year-old child named Bongeka, is till missing.
“Everything is a harsh reminder of what we lost, and not being able to find [Bongeka] is devastating because we can’t grieve or heal. At this stage we are left feeling empty,” 33-year-old Lethiwe Sibiya, who is among the survivors, told Reuters.
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The unfolding crisis in KZN began last weekend when torrential rains triggered heavy floods and landslides that battered the city of Durban and its surrounding areas.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala said, in a televised address, that the floods were among the worst disasters to have hit the province in history, and urged people to come together and help each other through the crisis.
“We need to summon our collective courage and turn this devastation into an opportunity to rebuild our province. The people of KwaZulu-Natal will rise from this mayhem,” Zikala said.