By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The death toll for the Christmas Day floods that hit Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 21, according to SA Police Services (SAPS).
As of Friday, 29 December 2023, a total of 21 bodies have been recovered,” said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
The floods hit the town on Christmas Eve, destroying about 1400 homes, with the death toll expected to rise as an unconfirmed number of people are still missing, he said.
Search and rescue teams have been scouring rivers to recover bodies, Netshiunda added. The operation is expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Tragedy hit one family in Ladysmith set to bury seven of its members who were killed when floods swept their vehicle into the river. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Vincent Msimango, his wife, two children, brother and niece, and nephew earlier this week.
KwaZulu-Natal province has witnessed devastating floods lately.
In June, heavy rainfall triggered deluges that killed seven people, and another seven went missing, in and around the city of Durban.
In April last year, devastating floods hit the coastal province killing more than 440 people.
KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube will visit the relatives of the victims on Saturday.
She will assess the damage caused by the floods and receive the latest updates to assess the impact of the province’s response.
Ncube-Dube will also visit the Naughton family, which lost a father and a child, and the Msimango family at Roosboom which lost six family members.