South African Flood Death Toll Reaches 443 Lives, Dozens Still Missing

South African flood illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Winfried Bruenken)

JAKARTA - Rescue teams searched for dozens of people still missing in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province on Sunday, after heavy rains in recent days triggered floods and landslides that have killed more than 440 people.

The floods have left thousands homeless, cut electricity and water services and disrupted operations at one of Africa's busiest ports, Durban.

Provincial Prime Minister Sihle Zikalala said the death toll had risen to 443, with another 63 people yet to be found. Meanwhile, a provincial economic official estimated the overall infrastructure damage was more than 10 billion rand, or about 684.6 million US dollars.

In some of the worst-affected areas, residents said they feared more rain, which was expected on Sunday. Some face painful waiting for news of missing loved ones.

"We have not lost hope. Although we are constantly worried as the days go on," Sbongile Mjoka, a resident of Sunshine village in eThekwini Municipality whose 8-year-old niece has been missing for days, told Reuters on April 18.

"We are traumatized by the rain," Mjoka told Reuters, adding that his house was badly damaged.

Separately, in a nearby semi-rural area, three members of the Sibiya family were killed when the wall of the room they were sleeping in collapsed, and 4-year-old Bongeka Sibiya is still missing.

"They are all stark reminders of what we lost, and not being able to find (Bongeka) was devastating, as we cannot grieve or heal. At this stage we are left feeling empty," said Lethiwe Sibiya.

Meanwhile, the Office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said late Saturday he had postponed a working visit to Saudi Arabia to focus on the disaster. President Ramaphosa will meet with cabinet ministers to assess the response to the crisis.

Prime Minister Zikalala said in a televised press conference that the floods were among the worst in the province's recorded history.

"We need to muster our collective courage and turn this devastation into an opportunity to rebuild our province. The people of KwaZulu-Natal will rise from this," he said.