Durban – Flooding from the heavy rain that fell in Durban over the weekend claimed at least six lives and left hundreds homeless, authorities said.
eThekwini Metro Municipality spokesman Thulani Mbatha said in a statement released on Monday afternoon that the city was providing relief for 325 people that had lost their homes.
“As of 3pm today, Monday 9 April 2016, eThekwini Disaster Management Centre had recorded 325 people that had been displaced in Wards 74 and 79. A total of 129 households were affected while 68 families required assistance interventions ranging from shelter, clothes and meals.”
Two infants lost their lives in Chatsworth and Umlazi, while four people drowned after being washed away in a river in Shallcross. Two bodies have been recovered so far and authorities were still searching for the other two.
Homes and roads were damaged in the areas of Reservoir Hills, Seacow Lake, Amaoti, St Wendolins, KwaMashu and Lamontville.
MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life due to the flash floods that have affected and inconvenienced many communities. We want our communities to know that they are not alone at this difficult time and that we are working hard to assist them in their hour of need. All our emergency personnel are doing their best to recover those who are still missing.”
She said that more rain could be expected in the Durban area later this week.
She warned that while Durban had received a deluge of rain it was too early to say what impact the rain had in other inland areas where the province’s dams are located.
Weather SA forecaster Wisani Maluleke said he believed that the 206 millilitres of rain that had fallen in May in Durban so far was a record.
“In one day 176 mm fell. That is a lot. I have never heard of that,” he said. Normally the city receives less than 60 mm of rain for the entire month.
African News Agency