More affected by WCape floods

2008-07-10 21:13

Johannesburg - The number of people affected by floods in the Western Cape has risen to more than 38 000, officials said on Thursday night.

The provincial disaster management centre reported that the lives of 35 112 residents were disrupted in Cape Town alone.

Another 3 000 people were affected in the Cape winelands, central Karoo districts and on the West Coast after days of driving rain in the province.

"Rescue and relief operations continued in earnest today (Thursday) with the distribution of food, water, blankets and other supplies to those in need," the head of the centre, Hildegard Fast, said in a statement.

"Hundreds of people have been cut off in outlying areas due to flooded roads, but disaster management officials have ensured that basic necessities have been delivered either by helicopter or all-terrain vehicles."

Food delivered to farmworkers

Help was again requested from the SA National Defence Force, which deployed an Oryx helicopter to deliver food to farmworkers stranded on various farms in the Ceres-Karoo area.

Three hikers were also rescued from the Grootwinterhoek Mountain in the De Tronk area.

Fast said engineers were assessing the extent of damage to roads and bridges in particular.

"Significant damage to infrastructure running into millions of rands has already been reported."

An example was the Olifants River Bridge in Matzikama, which suffered damage on the Van Rhynsdorp side and had been closed until further notice.

"The assessment of infrastructure damage across the province will be taking take place as the water levels subside," Fast said.

- SAPA