Durban Man Still Searching For Missing Family Members 11 Days After Floods Hit
A 21-year-old man from Durban is still looking for his relatives, whose bodies are believed to be trapped under the rubble after their home was washed away, or to have been washed into a nearby river.
Lindani Zungu, of Ntuzuma area 5 – Nhlungwane, said his 56-year-old aunt, her two grandchildren, ages 13 and 11, and a 36-year-old man who lived next door to him had gone missing around midnight on Monday, April 11.
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Zungu stated that he attempted to contact authorities to assist in the search for them but was unsuccessful. He stated that when heavy rains poured down in excess of 200mm on Monday night and Tuesday morning, his aunt’s house could be seen being washed away.
A plot of land is seen covered in sand, stones, and other rubble in the images Zungu sent to IOL.
“We have been searching for them for the entire week. We got help from the community members and we called the police who told us call rescue teams but we have heard nothing so far.
“We tried digging in the rubble, we looked on the other side of the river. We tried using all of the equipment we had but found nothing. We think the river might have taken them because we found her clothes [aunt] on the other side of the river.
“They could be in the river of under the sand and rocks at home,” Zungu said.
Search and rescue operations have been coordinated by state agencies based at the Virginia airfield in Durban’s north outskirts. Flooding rendered areas inaccessible, so helicopters were used to cover them.
According to an IOL report, a domestic worker was discovered under the rubble not far from the Virginia base after the family she worked for had been looking for her for nearly nine days.
On April 12, the walls of her quarters reportedly caved in, trapping her inside. The aid organization Gift of the Givers, which was called in to help, arrived with the equipment needed for the difficult rescue operation.
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“Gift of the Givers sent in heavy equipment to assist in the confined space. The equipment and operators were sponsored by two companies who went out of their way to assist in the search and avoid further structural damage to two homes on the property to prevent collapse of both homes,” said Dr Imtiaz Sooliman.
At least 448 people died in the floods, according to KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, with an unconfirmed number still missing.
Residents in parts of Durban have been without water and electricity for nearly two weeks as critical infrastructure has been damaged as a result of the devastation.
Broadcasting LIVE at 7am on @MorningLiveSABC from Ntuzuma F as residents pick up the pieces of their lives following the devastation.
We will hear from them and community leaders.#SABCNEWS pic.twitter.com/dJuOJ0jUjd— Chriselda ‘Babes We Ndaba’ Lewis (@Chriseldalewis) April 22, 2022
