South Africa Deploys 10,000 Soldiers To Help With Flood Relief Efforts

South Africa deployed 10,000 armed forces in the KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday, 18 April.

(Photo: Twitter/Presidency South Africa)

South Africa deployed 10,000 armed forces in the KwaZulu-Natal province on Monday, 18 April, to help restore power and water and search for 63 people who remain missing after torrential rains triggered floods and mudslides in the country's east coast last week. The city of Durban bore the brunt of the storms.

The overall death toll currently stands at 443, with rescue workers saying that hopes of finding more survivors were decreasing by the day, per AFP.

The province's premier, Sihle Zikalala, said on Sunday that the dead included two emergency workers, reported Al Jazeera.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is currently helping with rescue efforts, including mop-up work and transporting aid.

"The tragedy currently unfolding in our province is one of the worst natural disasters in the recorded history of our country," KZN's provincial government said.

Funerals Being Held Across Durban

Damaged roads and waterlogged cemeteries were making even funerals difficult, which are being held across Durban.

"There are so many deceased, and the mortuaries can't keep up because they have been so inundated. So it is taking a little longer to get the deceased out for burial," said Pieter van der Westhuizen, general manager for funeral services at the Avbob Insurance Company.

Electricity and Water Issues

Swathes of eThekwini, the municipality that includes Durban, remain without electricity or water, with KZN saying that the restoration of service could take time.

"There are areas that have suffered extensive damage which will take longer to repair," the province said in a statement.

eThekwini Deputy Mayor Philani Mavundla said that 80 percent of the city's waterworks were down.

While water tankers were deployed across the region, the authorities struggled to fill them.

According to government tallies, around 40,000 people were left homeless, and more than 550 schools and nearly 60 health care facilities were damaged in Durban and its surrounding area.

Several children were scheduled to return to class on Tuesday after the Easter break, however, authorities said 2,71,000 students may not be able to attend owing to damaged schools.

Meanwhile, the government announced an immediate emergency relief fund of 1 billion rand.

(With inputs from AFP and Al Jazeera.)