Five still missing as Limpopo flood death toll holds at 19
Five people remain missing in Limpopo province following torrential rains that triggered widespread flooding, while the death toll remains at 19, as additional rescue teams have been deployed to assist in search and rescue operations.
The provincial authorities said that on Thursday.
The latest figure follows the recovery of another male body in the Ba-Phalaborwa area, believed to be linked to recent drowning incidents caused by heavy rainfall across the province.
Limpopo MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu, said the body is preliminarily identified as that of a 17-year-old boy from Mashishimale village, one of two teenagers swept away by floodwaters in the Selati River on Monday.
“After the discovery of the body of a 17-year-old boy from Mashishimale outside Ba-Phalaborwa yesterday, the number of missing persons in the province now stands at five, while the number of fatalities remains at 19,” Makamu said.
The drowning of the two boys, aged 15 and 17, had earlier contributed to a total of six missing persons amid flooding in Mopani and Vhembe district municipalities.
Makamu welcomed the deployment of additional rescue teams from the National Disaster Management Centre, saying they would strengthen ongoing search and recovery operations in the worst-affected areas.
“The department, through the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and other stakeholders, is working around the clock to ensure that all missing persons are recovered,” he said.
“We recognise the trauma that affected families are going through and assure them that with the additional teams deployed, their loved ones will be found so that there can be closure.”
Search and rescue operations are continuing in Tshwinga in Vhembe district, as well as Mbaula and Ba-Phalaborwa in Mopani.
Makamu extended his condolences to families who have lost loved ones in the floods and said all spheres of government were mobilised to provide immediate assistance.
“Departments are conducting assessments in all affected areas to ensure that no one is left unattended,” he said.
He urged residents to avoid crossing flooded rivers, remain indoors where possible and limit unnecessary travel, warning that water levels in rivers and dams remain dangerously high despite the rains subsiding.
Makamu also acknowledged the role of non-governmental organisations, including Gift of the Givers and the Polokwane Muslim Foundation, and called on other organisations and individuals to assist affected communities.
Limpopo has been battered by heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with hail, strong winds and flooding, impacting Mopani, Vhembe, Waterberg and parts of Sekhukhune.
Meanwhile, Limpopo and Mpumalanga have been declared national disaster zones by President Cyril Ramaphosa under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act of 2002. The declaration followed widespread flooding and severe weather across several provinces and was issued by the head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Dr Elias Sithole, in consultation with provincial authorities.
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