South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declares state of disaster over heavy floods

Rescuers searched for dozens of people still missing in KZN after heavy rains in recent days triggered floods and mudslides that have killed more than 400 people, reported PTI. 

Johannesburg: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster and announced a range of measures to respond to the rain-triggered devastating floods in which over 400 people have died, dozens are still missing and more than 40,000 left homeless across the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The new state of disaster follows just a fortnight after Ramaphosa announced the end of one that was imposed for over two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The floods followed four days of unprecedented torrential rain, which Ramaphosa said on Monday could be attributed to climate change.

The president said that although a provincial state of disaster had been declared last week in KZN, the flooding has disrupted fuel lines and food supplies to the entire country from Durban, which is South Africa's main port of entry and the largest on the African continent.

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