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People help clear debris in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province
Photo: PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP
In the South African coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, clean-up work has begun after the worst recorded storm disaster there to date.
According to the authorities, attempts are being made to restore the water and electricity supply in all affected areas.
Private rescue workers are also involved in the rescue and clean-up work.
According to preliminary figures from the authorities, at least 395 people died in the disaster.
A week after the start of the devastating heavy rain that lasted for days, the regional capital Durban and its surroundings have also been hit by new rainfall.
Although the meteorologists predicted significantly less precipitation for the Easter weekend than before, the coastal province's rescue services were still on high alert.
The extreme weather started last weekend.
Rains had flooded settlements, ripped away roads and left thousands without shelter.
Around 4,000 houses and huts were destroyed and 13,500 badly damaged.
Tens of thousands of people are homeless.
The port of Durban, one of Africa's largest cargo ports, is closed until further notice.
Some areas have neither electricity nor running water.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the region a disaster area.
The coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal on the Indian Ocean is one of the country's most important holiday destinations and had actually already prepared for the traditional Easter rush of domestic and foreign tourists.
skr/AFP/dpa/Reuters
