The floods in South Africa killed 443 people and left dozens missing

ethekwini – Reuters

Rescue workers continued their search for missing people Sunday after more than 440 people were trapped in floodwaters and landslides in the past few days in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Thousands of people were displaced by floods and heavy rains, power lines were cut off, water services were cut off and operations in the port of Durban, one of Africa’s busiest, were halted. Rand ($ 684.6 million).

The death toll has risen to 443, with 63 missing or missing, said KwaZulu-Natal Chief Sihel Jigalala.

In some of the worst-hit areas, residents said they feared rain was expected on Sunday. Some residents are eagerly waiting for their loved ones to disappear.

“We did not give up hope,” said Muga, who lives in Spang, Sunshine Village, Itakwini, where he lost his eight-year-old son-in-law. As the days go by we continue to worry. ”

“We feel a psychological shock when we see the rain,” said Myoka, 47, who said his house was badly damaged.

In a nearby countryside, three members of the Sepia family were killed when the walls of the room where they slept collapsed, and 4-year-old Ponzika Sepia is still missing.

“We vividly remember everything we lost and the inability to find Ponzika is devastating,” said 33-year-old Lithuania Sebia.

In a statement on Saturday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said it had postponed a foreign visit to focus on responding to the disaster. The president is scheduled to meet with a cabinet minister to assess ways to deal with the crisis.

“We must inspire our collective courage and turn this devastation into an opportunity to rebuild our province,” he added. The KwaZulu-Natal people will rise again from this ordeal.