continuous rain
Storm disaster in South Africa: number of victims rises to 306
Damaged shipping containers have been carried away and destroyed by unusually heavy rainfall. Photo: Str/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The death toll after heavy rain in South Africa is increasing day by day. And many more people are still missing.
The number of victims after a storm disaster in South Africa’s coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal continues to rise. At least 306 people died due to the unusually heavy rain, the regional government said on Thursday.
The day before, the authorities had spoken of 253 dead. The figures are provisional because many people are still missing. The storm is considered the worst severe weather disaster on record in South Africa.
Since the rains began earlier this week, numerous roads have been washed away, bridges torn down and houses collapsed. The port of the regional capital, Durban, one of Africa’s largest cargo ports, is closed until further notice. Thousands of people are dependent on emergency shelters and humanitarian aid. Some areas have neither electricity nor running water.
The coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal on the Indian Ocean is one of the country’s most important holiday destinations and had actually already prepared for the traditional Easter rush of domestic and foreign tourists.