Number of lives lost due to the floods in Ladysmith has risen to 14

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The number of people who tragically lost their lives due to the floods that struck Ladysmith has risen to 14, as search and rescue teams continue on the ground.

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs confirmed that the count of missing persons has also increased as more people have been reported to the police.

As of Friday, there are now 10 people reported missing within the area of Ladysmith, following new reports made on Thursday. 

Notably, the Msimango family from Roosboom, who were severely affected, reported six family members missing, but all of them have since been recovered. The search for other reported missing individuals is still ongoing.

The total number of fatalities resulting from adverse weather conditions in the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal for the month of December now stands at 18 people, with additional incidents reported in Mandeni, Dannhauser and Dundee.

KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, has extended heartfelt condolences to all the grieving families and reassures the public that the government is sparing no effort in discovering all those who are still missing.

She also commended the unwavering commitment demonstrated by the Search and Rescue teams that have been tirelessly working on the ground since Christmas Day.

The search teams received bolstered support with the deployment of additional personnel from the SAPS K9 Unit, from various stations across the province.

“We appreciate that the discovery of more people was the result of the concerted effort made by our law enforcement agencies, which mobilised resources and personnel from different cities.

“This effort yielded results as search teams were divided into groups and searched the streams in Ladysmith.

“While this is an immense tragedy, we hope that it will bring some comfort to the families who have lost their loved ones, as they can now proceed with the necessary funeral arrangements and find closure in this tragic incident. 

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“We also urge all family members not to delay reporting their missing loved ones. This will greatly assist in the mobilisation of search teams and allow us to get support from the various organisations we collaborate with on disaster matters.”

“We express our gratitude to all our partners who have demonstrated a good morale and commitment,” said MEC Sithole-Moloi.

The department said it continues to provide disaster relief to all affected families and support to those who are grieving. As the South African Weather Services predict that rains will persist in various parts of the province, they urged communities to exercise caution when travelling.