By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The number of people killed when flash floods swept through a caravan park in Ladysmith, about 230km northwest of Durban, has risen to 10.
KZN Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi says the number of those still missing since the torrential downpours has also gone up to 13.
In Ladysmith, three members of a family whose bakkie was swept away by flood waters on the N11, are yet to be found.
The MEC visited some of the victims’ families yesterday.
She’s assured them that efforts to locate and recover their loved ones are continuing.
“We continue looking for them as you can see the rescue team is going down the river, making sure those people are being rescued even if they are dead and their bodies are brought to their families. We’re hoping that, that is going to happen.”
The rescue team recovered six bodies on Monday, one on Tuesday, and two more bodies on Wednesday. Another body was recovered in Mandeni, also in KwaZulu-Natal.
Sithole-Moloi says organisations like the Red Cross have been on the ground providing assistance to those who survived the storm.
She says it’s worrying that some of them don’t want to be relocated.
“When you ask them to relocate because this area is dangerous, they don’t want to move. Even now that they have drowned, they’re still going to come back and they say they are nearby were they are working. So, we can’t control that, we wish people would work with us as the department and as government so that we’re able to assist at times like this.”
The rescue team has since urged members of the community to be cautious, especially in areas that are prone to flood disasters, after the SA Weather Service forecast more rain for some parts of KwaZulu-Natal.