Flood Damage in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa... Death Toll Exceeds 300

Published 15 Apr.2022 01:05(KST)

'The Darkest Period in History'... Declaration of Disaster Area

On the 13th (local time), a road near Durban, South Africa, was washed away by floods, turning into a cliff-like formation. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The death toll from floods in KwaZulu-Natal province in southeastern South Africa has risen to 306, prompting the government to declare KwaZulu-Natal a disaster area.

On the 14th (local time), according to local media and Bloomberg News, the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department announced in a statement that at least 306 people have died due to the floods.

The previously reported death toll was 259, but the number of confirmed deaths is rapidly increasing due to many missing persons.

A spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Disaster Management Department described the flood damage as one of the darkest periods in KwaZulu-Natal's history.

Emmaphaka Tau, head of the National Disaster Management Centre, officially declared the floods a provincial disaster through the government gazette the previous night.

With the disaster area declaration, funds amounting to hundreds of millions of rand (tens of billions of Korean won) are expected to be allocated to assist recovery efforts.

This week, KwaZulu-Natal experienced the worst heavy rains in at least 60 years, including at Durban Port, South Africa's largest cargo port, causing landslides and halting port operations.

Roads were washed away, over 6,000 houses were damaged, and 248 schools were affected.

Port operations at Durban were suspended on the 12th but have gradually resumed since the 13th.

On the morning of the 13th, South African President Ramaphosa visited the affected areas, consoling flood victims who lost family members and promising support for recovery efforts.

He emphasized, "This disaster happened because of climate change. We can no longer delay responding to climate change."

According to the South African Weather Service, more rain is expected in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend. In southern South Africa, heavy rains and floods have been recurring recently due to climate change.