Photo: ROGAN WARD/REUTERS / Deutsche Welle
The measure, which came into effect late Wednesday, will allow the region to access special resources of the state to deal with the disaster.
“All organs of the state are urged to strengthen support to existing structures to implement contingency provisions,” the government statement confirming the declaration of a state of disaster, released on Thursday (14. 04. 2022) to the press.
to date, the death toll is confirmed 306, but it is possible that the count continues to rise.
the South African weather service forecast that, although the rains give a break during the day today, precipitation reactivate morning and continue throughout the weekend.
material damages are extensive and will amount to Gl didas millions, as predicted on Wednesday the head of government of KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala.
In many parts of the province citizens remain without electricity or water many major roads remain impassable.
local authorities also estimate that hundreds of people have been left homeless.
in the metropolitan area of Durban, the most populous city in KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest in South Africa, the most important -the port shipping cargo across the African continent had to suspend operations Wednesday and railways in the area reported significant damage.
rains started over the weekend and especially worsened from Monday.
The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, visited Wednesday affected area and in statements to the press, said that these inun dations are a “major disaster” directly related to climate change.
In 2019 this region also experienced heavy rains with floods that killed about 80 killed at this same time of the year.
CP (efe, afp)