The death toll from the Christmas Eve flash floods that ravaged a small town in South Africa’s easternmost province of KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 22, according to several reports.
The flash floods hit Ladysmith in northwestern KwaZulu-Natal, with the initial death toll of six and 10 people reported missing, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government announced. Heavy rains caused a river to burst its banks and overflow, triggering the flash floods, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube said in a condolence message. The provincial government published a video showing rescue workers wading through the flood waters.
The death toll later climbed to 14, according to the provincial government.
Locals then found a toddler’s body, leading to the latest count of 22, SABC News reported Saturday. The premier reportedly urged people to check in on their relatives and report missing persons. (RELATED: Insane Videos Show Mass Flash Flooding In US State)
The 10 missing persons remained unaccounted for six days after the “devastating floods,” as Premier Dube-Ncube visited relatives of the flood victims, the provincial government said Saturday. A video showed her visiting a family that lost seven members to the flash floods.
“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of victims who lost their lives,” the premier said in her condolence message.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi visit the Msimango Family at Roosboom which lost 6 family members following the devastating floods in Ladysmith. pic.twitter.com/A0jb8cKJKQ
— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) December 30, 2023
Over 300 people were killed in KwaZulu-Natal and homes and roads were washed away in the deadliest flash floods on record in South Africa in April 2022, the Guardian reported. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, describing the disaster as “a catastrophe of enormous proportions,” partly attributed it to climate change, the report noted.