KZN requests disaster aid
2012-12-12 21:49
-
Durban in a Word
Thirty writers, thirsty views of Durban. Each piece evokes memories of the city that has shaped...
Was R126.00
Now R121.00
buy now
Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government will ask
the national government to declare areas of the province hardest hit by the
inclement weather in the past week as disaster areas.
Co-operative governance spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said
in a statement on Wednesday the provincial cabinet had resolved to call for the
assistance of the national government.
The death toll in the province has now risen to 14 dead,
with a further four deaths reported in the Dassenhoek area of Durban.
Mabaso said the provincial government could still not put
a figure on the damage caused by the heavy rains, flooding and hail storms.
"You can understand the magnitude of the problem
when in Ladysmith alone you have 3 500 homes affected by the hail," he
said.
The worst affected areas were Ladysmith, the Ugu district
on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast and parts of Durban.
"The damage will escalate to millions of rands. We
do not at this stage have the accurate figure, but once all the emergency
relief and rescue efforts have been conducted we will commence with the process
of quantifying the damage."
At least 28 people have been killed due to heavy rains in
KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga since Sunday.
Three deaths have also been recorded around Mahikeng in
the North West since Tuesday, due to torrential rain.
- SAPA
