Death toll in South African floods reaches 12

Jun 20, 2008, 15:57 GMT

Johannesburg - Two people died in torrential rains across the south coast of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province this week bringing the death toll to 12, police said Friday.

Six people died in the Port Shepstone area and six in the Umzinto, Umkooas region, a spokesman said.

The body of an 8-year-old boy was found in the rubble of his collapsed home in Louisiana on Thursday while the bodies of an 93- year-old man and an 80-year-old woman were discovered at their homes in Club Marina, Hibberdene.

Meanwhile, residents and emergency services have begun cleaning up the south coast.

A spokesman for the Ugu district, Brian Dube, said: 'We were able to go out on an air force chopper to assess the damage. What we found is that most of the damage was to the road infrastructure and about 10 bridges have been washed away.'

Rescue services had managed to access the flood-hit areas on Thursday as the weather had begun to ease.

At least 1,000 people have been displaced by the floods and found shelter at local police stations and community halls.

Those hardest hit by the floods were from informal settlements and they were trying to salvage what they could from the rubble.

'We are trying to reintegrate some displaced people into communities because the accommodation at community centres is not suitable for living,' Dube said.

Damage could come to billions of rands and aid agencies were appealing for donations of canned foods, blankets, clean water and clothes.

A spokesman for the Red Cross in KwaZulu-Natal, Derrick Naidoo, said they had received aid, but needed more.

The Durban Weather Bureau said the downpours had been the worst since 1964.