The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal says 45 people have been killed by the floods since the heavy rainfall started.
The heavy rains have caused numerous road closures as well as flooding in low-lying areas. The cost of repairing buildings and houses is estimated to be in the millions of rands.
Schooling and learning were also impacted because students were advised not to attend classes. The mayor of eThekwini, Mxolisi Kaunda, has urged residents to stay at home and avoid leaving their homes as roads remain impassable.
With several reports of cars being washed away in floodwaters around KwaZulu-Natal, emergency workers fear the death toll could be much higher – as SABC News Ayanda Mhlongo reports from Durban:
Hundreds of trucks were diverted from the N3 to the Hammarsdale off-ramp as a precautionary measure due to waterlogging on some sections of the N3.
