SWALLOWED

19 dead, billions in damages as relentless rain floods homes, schools and clinics

- ANITA NKONKI and VERNA VAN DIEMEN

EMERGENCY services remain on high alert in Mpumalanga and Limpopo this weekend, where the highest Level 10 weather warning is still in place, despite conditions easing in some areas.

The death toll from flooding in the two provinces had risen to 19 by yesterday as search-and-recovery operations continue amid relentless rain and widespread destruction. Emergency teams, yesterday, were still combing affected areas for missing victims.

In Limpopo, a joint search-and-recovery operation led by provincial emergency services, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and police has been under way along rivers adjacent to homes destroyed by floodwaters. The mission was temporarily called off yesterday but is expected to resume today.

Personnel were deployed, using boats and a helicopter to search submerged areas. Emergency officials said they have so far been unable to find a five-year-old boy who was swept away during the floods.

In a TV news bulletin, Limpopo Emergency Services representative, Kwena Mabotja, search teams will continue looking for the missing five year old. Emergency services were also faced with multiple rescue missions across the two provinces.

One involved workers trapped in an area that became inaccessible by road due to flooding. About 35 workers, who had run out of food and were relying on a generator, were evacuated by air, said Mabotja.

This also includes the search for the missing five-year-old child whose mother was airlifted to safety.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) said the scale of damage was extensive, affecting numerous communities and destroying critical infrastructure.