The largest flood on record swept South Africa, more than 300 people died
The biggest flood in six decades devastated the South African port city of Durban, killing at least 306 people.
According to the statistics of AFP, It was South Africa’s deadliest flood ever, as floodwaters swept away roads, landslided hills and destroyed homes in the city of Durban, in the Municipality. eThekwini, KwaZulu – Natal Province (KZN), east coast of the African country.
“On the evening of April 13, we were informed that the death toll from the flood disaster in the province had reached 306,” said Nonala Ndlovu, a spokesman for the disaster management department of KZN province. The agency said it was “one of the darkest moments in history” in the province.
People search for property from destroyed houses in the port city of Durban after floods and landslides. Image: AFP.
KZN province officials say South Africa’s biggest flood in six decades is “unprecedented” and has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure.
“Bridges have collapsed, roads have been washed away, many people have died… It’s a tragic disaster,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told the local community after inspecting flood damage. .
The flooding occurred when a low pressure mass exposed the hot and humid climate of eastern South Africa, causing heavy rainfall. “Some areas in KZN province have experienced more than 450 mm of rain in the last 48 hours, almost half of the annual rainfall in Durban,” said Dipuo Tawana, an official with the South African National Weather Service.
Continuous heavy rains flooded some areas, flooded highways, devastated infrastructure throughout the city, and railway lines across the province were also paralyzed due to landslides. An estimated 6,000 homes were damaged by the floods.
Infrastructure destroyed by floods in KZN province, eastern South Africa on April 13. Image: CNN.
President Ramaphosa confirmed that efforts to find the missing people were still going on and pledged to do their best to respond to the disaster.
“This is part of climate change. We cannot delay any longer what needs to be done to respond to climate change,” the South African president said. “That phenomenon is hitting South Africa and our disaster management capacity needs to be raised to the next level.”
Jomba Phiri, who lives in Durban, said his home was swept away in the flood. “I don’t know where my family will sleep now,” Phiri said.
Ron Naidoo, a community pastor in Tongaat town, KZN province, said he stayed up all night due to rising flood waters and watched police recover a car from the river with a body inside. “It’s painful, it’s the first time we’ve seen the river so high,” he said.
Aerial footage shows destroyed infrastructure, hillsides washed away by heavy rains in the city of Durban, South Africa. Video: Guardians.
Heavy rains continued to hit areas in the city of Durban on the afternoon of April 13, and a flood warning was also issued for the neighboring Eastern Cape province.
The port city of Durban has witnessed the violence claimed more than 250 lives people in July 2021, marking the worst unrest in South Africa since apartheid ended.
The southern regions of the country also face the climate crisis, suffering from worsening rains and floods. Flooding killed 140 people in South Africa in 1995.
Duc Trung (According to Guardian/BBC)
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