Lerato Mbhiza
THE number of people who have tragically passed away after heavy rains battered KZN during the festive holidays has risen to 40.
The KwaZulu-Natal Co-Operative Governance Department spokesperson, Nonala Ndlovu, said the number of fatalities has risen to 40, and five people are still missing as disaster management teams continue with the search and rescue operations after rains and thunderstorms affected different parts of KwaZulu-Natal over December and January.
“Two of the bodies that were recovered on Friday are still undergoing DNA testing to verify if they are part of the missing five. The highest number of fatalities – 25 – was recorded in Thukela district while 74 people sustained injuries across the province and 814 households have been affected.
“226 houses have been totally destroyed, while 663 have been partially damaged. The department is working with different social partners and government agencies to bring relief to the families in distress while continuing with assessments to quantify the cost of damages to both public infrastructure and private property,” Ndlovu said.
SA Weather has a warning issues thunderstorm, heavy rain warning for various parts of KZN.
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