At least 12 people have been confirmed killed in South Africa, after floods triggered by heavy rains struck parts of South Africa, according to authorities. This comes after the presidency declared a national state of disaster.
According to the department in charge of disaster management, COGTA, the bad weather, which is predicted to last for the remainder of the week, struck the east, north, and south, killing people in four of South Africa’s nine provinces.
COGTA spokesman Lungi Mtshali, was quoted as saying that the famed Kruger National Park, a tourist magnet bordering Mozambique and the largest reserve in South Africa, was badly affected. Mpumalanga province, in northeast South Africa, “seems to be hardest hit so far. Kruger is really bad,” said Mtshali.
Mtshali said that the death toll had risen to 12, up from seven on Monday.
Kruger is crossed by several rivers, which have been swollen by torrential rains since last weekend, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
“Movement inside the park is restricted as some roads are damaged,” said Isaac Phaahla, a spokesman for the national parks’ authority, SANParks.
Several camps inside the reserve have been evacuated as a precaution. Heavy rains started to fall last week after a cold snap in the middle of the austral summer, according to the weather service.
According to SAWS forecaster, Puseletso Mofokeng, some areas saw more than 20 centimetres (nearly eight inches) of rain in one day. The deluge is expected to last for the rest of the week, Mofokeng said, warning more flooding was likely.
Recall that on Monday, the president declared a state of national disaster to coordinate the response and provide “temporary shelters, food and blankets” to the homeless. The floods have inundated homes and swept away vehicles, it said. Roads, bridges and even a hospital have been affected.
Last year, South Africa was hit by its worst floods in living memory, which left more than 400 people dead in Durban, the country’s third-largest city, and its surrounding areas.
This story was adapted from The Guardian.
