Hundreds of people have been affected by floods around South Africa’s eastern coastal city of East London since the weekend after rivers burst their banks and roads were inundated by rivers and seawater.
According to reports on Monday, no fewer than 10 people have so far died from the floods.
Images on social media showed vehicles trying to drive through torrents of water submerged highways.
According to several media reports, hundreds of homes in the iron-roof settlements outside the city, especially in the Mdantsane township, have been washed away.
Floods and droughts are expected to worsen along the country’s east coast, where roughly half a million people live. Scientists suspect climate change is to blame.
In 2019, the Department of Environment drafted a climate change adaptation plan for South Africa that focuses on protecting its preparedness to respond more quickly to weather disasters and helping victims recover.
