DURBAN - More than 100 people were left homeless after their homes were damaged in flooding due to heavy rain in KwaZulu-Natal since Friday.
The KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka said disaster management teams in partnership with the department of social development and non-governmental organisations had provided immediate relief to the 138 people.
He added that disaster management teams were continuing with assessments to provide a full picture of the extent of the damage experienced by municipalities in the province.
Cogta said that on Friday, teams responded to incidents in wards 1,2,3 and 5 in the eMadlangeni Local Municipality (Utrecht), where 16 people had to be evacuated as a result of flooding.
He said the torrential rains experienced by the municipality led to the collapse of a local bridge that is on a road leading to the town of Utrecht.
“Incidents were also reported in uMfolozi where a house collapsed in ward 2 at Cici and in Mtubatuba ward 1 where two families were evacuated due to flooding. Disaster management teams are continuing with assessments that will provide a full picture of the extent of the damage experienced by municipalities,” he said.
In the Greater Kokstad municipality, a local river burst its banks and flooded surrounding homes in wards 9,5 and 1. As a result,122 people were left homeless.
Hlomuka added that there had been no fatalities reported from the incidents.
THE MERCURY