Nushera Soodyal
KwaZulu Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala, said the number of people who tragically died as a result of the floods stands at 435, with 54 still missing.
Addressing a briefing on Sunday, he said "as of today, 17 438 households have been affected by the disaster wherein 121 687 people were affected. Sadly, 435 people lost their lives and to date, 54 are still reported missing."
Zikalala said a total of 6278 people are currently homeless, and 55 people were injured as a result of this disaster.
Shelters in eThekwini are accommodating about 7 000 people.
The Premier praised individuals and organisations from KZN and the rest of the country for opening up their hearts and wallets to assist with donations.
He said a task team is coordinating the support to the bereaved families.
"A Disaster Burial Policy was adopted by the Provincial Executive Council on 17 April. In this regard, we appreciate the contribution by AVBOB, which has set aside R3 million to assist with burial costs."
"We are also heavily indebted to the Motsepe Family Foundation, which has generously donated R30m to be used largely to cover the burial costs," he said.
(Source: ECR)
