At least 259 people have now been confirmed dead after heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The latest figure goes beyond a previous number of 59 fatalities reported by the government on Monday, when the heavy rainfall in South Africa’s eastern coastal province was first reported to have flooded settlements, ravaged homes, swept away roads and displaced dozens.
Recall that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its report in February warned that humanity was far from ready even for the climate change that is already baked into the system by decades of fossil fuel-burning and deforestation.
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The panel urged global leaders to as a matter of urgency, ramp up investments in adaptation.
It will also be recalled that In 2019, the Department of Environment drew up a plan for South Africa to adapt to climate change, which includes strengthening its preparedness to respond more quickly to weather disasters and help victims recover.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had, during a visit to families who had lost loved ones in the province, including a family with four children, pledged to help the victims of devastating floods.
The provincial government, which confirmed the number of dead, had said in a statement that the death toll could rise further and warned heavy rain would continue until evening in the coastal parts of the province.
The province’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) had said that disaster management teams were evacuating people in areas where mudslides occurred and where buildings had collapsed.
According to reports, dozens of homes were washed away, following the latest flooding while several roads also caved in, hampering transportation and rescue operations. People were seen carrying some salvaged possessions to safer places as muddy waters gushed across streets.
The rains also flooded a dam beyond capacity, making it hard to operate a hydroelectric generator at power utility Eskom, according to Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter.
South Africa’s biggest logistics and freight operator Transnet, which runs the Durban port, was reported to have also suspended operations across its terminals after the flooding damaged roads and hindered access to the terminals.
The South African Weather Service has since declined to attribute the current spate of rainfall to climate change but said such heavy rain events could become more common.
Story was adapted from Sky News.
