In order to supply themselves with electricity, many people in the poor areas of South Africa connect their huts to existing power lines. During days of heavy rain, several people died from electric shocks.
Heavy rains have caused devastating floods in South Africa. Eight people were killed in the Cape Town area, including four children, the city administration said. They suffered fatal electric shocks in two poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city affected by the flood.
In Cape Town’s slums, many people live in shacks made of corrugated iron and other simple materials. Many of the residents obtain electricity by connecting their houses or huts to existing power lines. This is both illegal and extremely dangerous.
Tens of thousands of households without electricity
It had rained heavily for days in Cape Town and the surrounding Western Cape province. According to the AP news agency, at least three people were also killed in Overberg – southeast of Cape Town. Rivers overflowed their banks, flooding neighborhoods and streets. Numerous people had been brought to safety.
Almost a thousand buildings were affected by the floods, and tens of thousands of households were temporarily without power. According to the authorities, the full extent of the damage is still unclear.