On Tuesday, local authorities in South Africa’s eastern coast announced that at least eighteen people had perished in floods brought on by intense rainfall.
A spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, which was severely affected by the floods, told AFP that at least seven people had perished in the Eastern Cape province.
The provincial government in neighboring KwaZulu-Natal said at least 11 people have died in and around the port city of Durban.
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from Nelson Mandela Bay, notably from makeshift homes in the municipality’s slums.
An appeal for blankets, food, and clothing donations was made by the local authorities. A state of alert was issued by KwaZulu-Natal provincial authorities.
55 people with minor to moderate injuries are receiving hospital care, according to a provincial government statement. “At least 120 people have been displaced, and three temporary shelters have been established,” the statement continued.
In 2022, Durban and the surrounding area saw the worst flooding South Africa has ever seen, resulting in mudslides that killed over 400 people.
Rescue services were deployed in both affected provinces on Monday night. Homes were leveled, flooded roads were blocked, and trees were uprooted. Some places suffered energy blackouts.
According to the National Meteorological Institute, a “cut-off low” pressure system characterized by heavy rains and a cold snap that may also bring hail, snow, and strong winds is currently engulfing South Africa.
Meteorological services in four of the nine provinces of southern Africa have issued weather alerts due to the heavy rainfall that has affected the eastern Indian Ocean coast.
