The Archbishop of Cape Town lamented “a tragedy of overwhelming proportions”.
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Posted on 4/17/2022 6:54 PM Updated on 4/17/2022 6:59 PM
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The human toll darkens a little more. The unprecedented floods that devastated South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal region after several days of unprecedented rain killed 443 people on Sunday April 17, according to the provincial minister.
This Easter Sunday, calls to prayer for the victims multiplied during religious gatherings. “It is a tragedy of overwhelming proportions,” said Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and successor to Desmond Tutu, who spoke of “stress and pain” for the community.
Water and electricity have been shut off in some parts of the province since Monday. Many slums made of corrugated iron or simple planks did not withstand the deluge.
Most casualties were recorded in the Durban region, a port city of 3.5 million people that faces the Indian Ocean and has been experiencing heavy rains for a week, causing flooding and deadly landslides. 63 people are still missing.