By EyeWitness News
KWAZULU-NATAL – The death toll from the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal has risen to 448.
The latest figure was confirmed by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikala a short while ago.
This comes as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the international community had rallied behind South Africa as it battled the aftermath of deadly storms.
Government declared a national state of disaster over the severe weather that has led to the latest number of deaths in KwaZulu-Natal alone.
Relief efforts have been underway to find shelter for displaced people and to recover the bodies of those who were washed away in the floods.
Dlamini-Zuma says the UAE, Algeria and Japan were among countries that had offered to come to South Africa’s aid.
She said as part of the government’s three-phase response to the crisis, people whose homes were partially destroyed would be receiving vouchers for building materials.
The cost of the disaster was expected to run into the billions with the government already having set up a framework for the spending of R1 billion to provide relief to residents.
