At least six people from the OR Tambo District Municipality have been confirmed to have died while in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) due to the torrential rains that hit parts of the province two weeks ago.
According to information released by the district municipality, three Mdediswa family members, who were residing in Pinetown in KZN, lost their lives from the floods that hit their area. The three family members hail from Ward 20 of the Nyandeni Local Municipality.
The district municipality further confirmed the death of three members of the Msentwa family, originally from Ward 20 of the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, who also drowned while in KZN.
“The seventh victim is a six-year-old from the Ngidi family. The young boy drowned at Manyekeni River in Ward 16 of the Port St Johns Local Municipality,” said OR Tambo District Municipality spokesperson, Zimkhitha Macingwane.
Macingwane said two other members from the district sustained injuries after houses fell on them during the heavy rains.
“About 2 471 homes have been damaged by the incidents and 885 households were left homeless with 1 586 left partially homeless. Infrastructure has also been affected by the floods that left about 32 access roads damaged, 11 health facilities and three schools’ infrastructure damaged,” Macingwane added.
The Alfred Ndzo District Municipality (ANDM) also confirmed fatalities as well as infrastructure damage due to the floods.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has since declared a national state of disaster following the flooding in parts of KwaZulu- Natal and Eastern Cape.
