10,000 troops deployed by South African Army to rescue flood victims

10,000 troops deployed by South African Army to rescue flood victims Credit Twitter: World Meteorological Organization @WMO

10,000 troops have been deployed by the South African Army in an attempt to search for survivors of the floods.

The South African Army has stated that they have deployed a total of 10,000 troops to aid in the search of survivors, with 63 people still missing, as well as to help in the restoration of key services.Some of the troops include plumbers and electricians who are partaking in the efforts to get South African life back to normal by providing field accommodation adn water purification systems.

Each passing day sees hopes diminishing in the frantic search for more survivors, with the current death toll standing at 443. KwaZulu-Natal Province Government stated:

“The tragedy currently unfolding in our province is one of the worst natural disasters in the recorded history of our country.” The city of Durban, which saw the worst of the storms  is holding funerals while swathes of eThekwini, the municipality that includes Durban, remain without electricity or running water. 

“There are areas that have suffered extensive damage which will take longer to repair,” stated the City.

Philani Mavundla, eThekwini Deputy Mayor stated in a television interview that 80% of the city’s water works were down, creating extreme difficulty in the filling of tankers destined to take water to those needing it most.

The storm, which is the deadliest on record, saw apocalyptic levels of rainfall on Durban and surrounding areas of KwaZulu-Natal. An estimated 40,000 people are now homeless with over 550 schools and nearly 60 health care facilities damaged, according to Government reports, as reported by France24.


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Written by

Joshua Manning

Originally from the UK, Joshua is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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