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Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Eloise caused flooding in parts of northern KZN. In Jozini, the floods forced a family to evacuate their home in eMkhonjeni.
A teenager has died and hundreds of people in northern KwaZulu-Natal have lost their homes as a result of Tropical Storm Eloise.
Sipho Hlomuka, the MEC of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), said the 14-year-old boy drowned on Monday in KwaShoba, which is part of Ward 13 of Zululand’s Abaqulusi district.
Details of the incident remain vague, but disaster management teams are providing support to the teenager’s family, he added.
Two children were also injured in the floods in Esilweni, in Abaqulusi, when their house collapsed on Monday. They were taken to the hospital and have since been discharged.
In the local municipality of Jozini, in Mkhanyakude district, heavy rains and floods affected 280 households and 916 people.
“There were approximately 175 houses completely destroyed and 110 houses partially destroyed,” Hlomuka said. “This devastation left 35 families homeless, yet it was fortunate that no injuries or deaths were reported.
“Interim aid is being provided to affected families in the form of blankets, tents, sponges and mattresses, food packages and temporary shelters for displaced families.”
Cogta also reported that several roads were flooded and blocked as a result of heavy rains in Mkhanyakude district.
Department of Transportation staff have been tasked with clearing the D1836, D1834, D1830, D9 and P44 roads and replacing gravel when necessary.
In uPhongolo, Zululand, seven houses were destroyed and another six were partially damaged. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Hlomuka said residents should remain vigilant as the South African Meteorological Service warned that more rains are expected this week.
“We continue to monitor the situation on the ground as conditions are expected to become potentially more dangerous as the ground is already saturated with excess water from the rains,” added the MEC.
