Four people have died in a thunderstorm and strong winds at Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The Weather Service had earlier issued a Level 6 warning for disruptive rainfall across parts of the province.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance says the storm tore roofs off houses and caused damage to infrastructure, including power cables, roads and bridges. Cars were also damaged.
The department’s Siboniso Mngadi explains, “The storm tore roofs off houses and caused damage to infrastructure including power cables, roofs and bridges, and there were also vehicles that were damaged. Up to this stage, some houses in the areas of Somkhele and KwaMyeki areas have been identified. some houses suffered complete damage rendering families homeless.”
Mngadi says more than 70 houses in the Somkhele and KwaMyeki areas were destroyed. He says community halls and churches have opened their doors to the public in need of a safe place to stay.
“Other districts such as Harry Gwala and Umgungundlovu have also experienced minor to moderate damages where people’s houses were damaged, but no injuries or fatalities were reported from those districts. Disaster management teams will continue their on-site assessments, and provide relief that includes mattresses, blankets, plastic sheeting and food,” Mngadi adds.
