South Africa declares a national disaster after floods kill at least 30 and damage thousands of homes
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابSouth Africa has classified the recent torrential rains and flooding as a national disaster, a move that allows the central government to coordinate the response and accelerate relief and recovery efforts, after at least 30 deaths were reported in the country’s north.
Authorities said the worst-hit areas are Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, where all fatalities were recorded, while other provinces were also affected as floodwaters washed away roads and bridges and damaged thousands of homes and other infrastructure.
In Limpopo alone, officials put damage at about $240 million, as rescue teams continued searches for missing people, including a 5-year-old boy believed to have been swept away.
The flooding also disrupted tourism in and around Kruger National Park, prompting evacuations from flooded camps and temporary closures in affected sections as crews assessed damage.
The downpours are part of a wider southern Africa weather emergency that has also hit Mozambique and Zimbabwe, with reports of more than 100 deaths across the three countries since late last year.
Meteorologists have linked the intensity of the rainfall to a slow-moving low-pressure pattern that produced extreme daily totals in parts of northeastern South Africa, keeping flood risks elevated in saturated areas.
