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2:41
Floods in South Africa leave 443 dead and 63 missing
This natural phenomenon has been one of the most devastating in South Africa and has completely destroyed approximately 40,000 homes.
The report of people killed by the heavy floods that have affected the province of KwaZulo-Natal, located in eastern South Africa, rose to 443 on Monday, while 63 people remain missing. This was reported by an official source in the region.
The head of government of said province, Sihle Zikalala, was the one who offered the updated information on fatalities and missing persons. He also assured that these floods "have been one of the worst catastrophes that have occurred in the province of KwaZulu-Natal for a long time," he said.
The local government announced that the emergency team remains active, working tirelessly in the most affected area, which remains on red alert due to the winds and rains that have not stopped in the country.
Likewise, the local authorities calculated that the damage caused by this natural phenomenon is worth millions, since approximately 40,000 people have lost their homes and businesses as a result of the severe flooding.
According to the reports of the task force, there are a total of 3,937 homes that were completely destroyed, while another 8,039 were partially destroyed. Reason for which the South African government declared a state of disaster and deployed a group of officials from the national army to join the rescue and search for the missing.
In this sense, Zikalala said that he will ask the national executive to think about the idea of declaring a state of disaster at the national level, due to the seriousness of the events.
Durban is the third largest area in South Africa and the most affected by this catastrophe
The floods washed away everything in their path, including informal communities near mountains, electricity systems, transportation, and various health centers.
Mxolisi Kaunda, mayor of Durban, one of the areas most affected by the floods, indicated that only in that region the heavy damage represents a loss of 757 million rands, which would be approximately 50 million euros.
In this sense, the president of the nation, Cyril Ramaphosa, traveled to this seriously devastated city, where he confirmed that the catastrophe is of "enormous proportions" and assured that everything is due to climate change that not only is his country suffering, but also the whole world.
The national executive also said that due to the tragedy they are going through as a nation, he will postpone the trip to Saudi Arabia that he had previously planned. This to focus on solving the problems that the floods are leaving behind.
