After storm: Officials bring hope after deadly rains!

EFFORTS are underway to assist 98 families impacted by the heavy rains.

Six individuals lost their lives during the heavy rains that began on Wednesday, 19 February, in Durban.

In response to this tragedy, KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, along with eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, conducted an oversight visit on Friday, 21 February, to the areas in eThekwini affected by the recent rains.

They also visited bereaved families who tragically lost loved ones and those displaced by the downpour.

The eThekwini municipality spokeswoman, Gugu Sisilana, said the eThekwini Disaster and Emergency Services teams are on the ground profiling affected families and assessing the impact the inclement weather had on infrastructure.

She said a report detailing the extent of the infrastructure damage will be presented at the next Council meeting.

"As a temporary relief to assist affected families, the city is providing blankets, mattresses, and food hampers," she said.

Sisilana said the municipality will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders, including communities, to create awareness about the dangers of building in flood-prone areas.

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She said they are also implementing practical measures, including allocating resources to build climate-resilient infrastructure.

"The city activated its joint Disaster Management Operations Centre to coordinate its response to the impacts of the latest weather-related incident."

According to the Forecast Early Warning System, 184mm of rain was reported in the Amanzimtoti area between midnight and 5am on Thursday.

"Most of the impacts have been related to flooding, especially in the southern parts of the city. Affected areas include Amanzimtoti, Morton, Clairwood, and Isiphingo."

Sisilana said four fatalities were reported in Folweni, KwaMakhutha, Demat and Ensimbini after a wall collapsed while the occupants were asleep.

"Emergency services urgently responded to the scene where people were found trapped under rubble, working through the night to free those trapped," she said.

Unfortunately, four individuals lost their lives: a 45-year-old man in KwaMakhutha, a 13-year-old boy in Folweni, a 12-year-old girl in Demat, and a 13-year-old girl in Ensimbini.

Another two fatalities were confirmed in Adams Mission, where the victims, a 44-year-old male and a 41-year-old female, were trapped in a formal structure.