The death toll from recent mudslides in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has now risen to six, as emergency teams continue searching for more victims.
Heavy rainstorms that started on Wednesday night and lasted into Thursday morning caused widespread damage across the province, including mudslides that buried homes and infrastructure.
The KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) confirmed that six people died in separate incidents caused by the extreme weather.
One tragic event saw a mudslide crashing into a home, where a family of four was caught inside. Another person was killed when a landslide buried a house.
Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the MEC for COGTA, shared that a child remains missing as rescue teams continue to work in affected areas.
The hardest-hit regions are in the southern parts of the province, where disaster teams are still looking for victims trapped beneath the mud.
The eThekwini municipality reported four fatalities after walls of both formal and informal homes collapsed while residents were asleep.
The victims included a 45-year-old man, a 13-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, and a 13-year-old girl. Rescue operations continue in the Adams Mission area, where more people are believed to be trapped.
As a safety measure, several beaches, including uMdloti, Isipingo, and Toti Main, have been closed temporarily due to the risk of further flooding.
