Two people have reportedly drowned in Nkandla due to severe flooding, as local authorities assess the damage and respond to the crisis. | SAPS
Durban — Two people are believed to have drowned in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal after flooding on Friday.
In a statement on Sunday, Nkandla Local Municipality municipal manager Nomfundo Dlamini said the latest disaster report revealed that five Nkandla wards were severely affected by Friday’s floods.
Dlamini explained that on Saturday, the disaster management team assessed 12 households, with two being severely affected. In the same ward, two more cases were reported on Sunday morning.
In ward 14, 14 houses were impacted, some with roofs blown off by strong winds, while others were destroyed by the floods.
“A tragic incident also took place in ward 10, where a man from ward 6 drowned while on his way home,” Dlamini said.
“Nkandla Local Municipality disaster management and Ekhombe SAPS are currently in ward 9 searching for a teenage girl who was reported drowned after being swept away by the river on Saturday.”
Dlamini said the disaster team was assessing wards 1, 5 and 7.
She said in response to the situation, King Cetshwayo Municipality district mayor councillor Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, along with Nkandla Local Municipality deputy mayor Nonhlanhla Nzuza and other leadership, held an intervention meeting.
“However, the municipality faces significant challenges in responding effectively due to limited resources and funding. This flooding incident follows a series of devastating wildfires that occurred between May and October, further straining municipal resources,” explained Dlamini.
“The municipality is doing everything in its power to assist the affected communities and is hopeful that relevant government departments will provide additional support during this difficult time.”
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs praised the swift response by disaster management teams in providing relief and support to families affected by severe thunderstorms that struck parts of the uMzinyathi and uMgungundlovu districts on Friday.
The storms, which brought heavy rains, hail and strong winds, partially destroyed over 180 houses, Cogta said.
The hardest-hit area is Mbulwane, ward 1 of the uMvoti Local Municipality, where 718 people were affected by a hailstorm. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this incident.
In the uMgungundlovu District, under the Mpofana Local Municipality, strong winds and heavy rain damaged seven houses.
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