16 killed in bad weather in South Africa: Officials

By Hassan Isilow

PRETORIA (AA) - At least 16 people have been killed in South Africa’s eastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal since late October due to harsh weather conditions including thunder storms and a tornado, authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

"Since October 2019, the [southeastern] province of KwaZulu-Natal has been experiencing extreme weather conditions, triggering severe thunderstorms, lightning strikes, gale-force winds and heavy downpours which have wreaked havoc across the province," the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said.

Local officials in KwaZulu-Natal said a large storm hit the area on Tuesday afternoon after parts of the province saw heavy rain.

Two people were killed during the incident and several houses and public infrastructure were damaged, the statement said.

The statement added that 14 people have been killed since Oct. 25, while 19 injured and 798 households affected, excluding the latest incident whose damage is still being assessed.

Authorities have urged residents to remain alert as heavy rains and thunder storms continue to hit the area.

Parts of South Africa have been experiencing heavy rains after a long dry season that authorities fear could lead to floods.