Clean-up & recovery operations underway in Durban in wake of deadly flooding

JOHANNESBURG - Clean-up and recovery operations are underway in Durban after the latest case of deadly flooding.
 
Seven people died following heavy downpours in KwaZulu-Natal this week, among them children.
 
Lamontville township was the hardest hit area.
 
Nearly 300 homes were damaged there, while hundreds of people were displaced.
 
The eThekwini Municipality has announced plans to rehouse over 280 people who lost their homes during the floods.
 
The city said that temporary accommodation would be provided at local shelters, community halls and other public facilities.

Five of the seven people who died this week were from Lamontville.

In 2022, more than 400 people died when KwaZulu-Natal experienced catastrophic flooding and mudslides.

The spokesperson for the eThekwini Metro, Gugu Silana, warned that risks from the recent extreme rainfall remained high.
 
"The flooding also affected other areas in eThekwini where localised flooding, overflow of low-lying bridges, mudslides, and fallen trees were reported."
 
For now, affected residents face the long road to rebuilding their lives.