Tornadoes claim 11 lives in South Africa.
Severe storms caused significant damages, with major impact on the town of Tongaat in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Photos from the affected areas showed destroyed houses and other debris.
"The destruction is immense," said Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal, adding that the toll of casualties could increase.
Confirming the weather service reports, at least two tornadoes were confirmed to have hit the province on Monday afternoon. These caused "considerable destruction," as announced by the paramount weather forecasting body on Tuesday.
The tornado in the western KwaZulu-Natal region occurred near the cities of Newcastle and Utrecht. A second, more massive, tornado took place around Tongaat and moved towards the coast at Westbrook and Ballito, leaving more extensive damage.
According to the provincial government, displaced families have found temporary shelter, and injured people are receiving medical attention in local hospitals.
"Our country sometimes goes through tornadoes," the weather service explained. These weather events transpire "when large and potent systems strike our nation."
The memory of past weather-related tragedies remains vivid in South Africa, with the province of KwaZulu-Natal being no exception. In 2022, over 300 people lost their lives to flash floods, after the region experienced violent rainstorms, in what provincial authorities called one of the country's most devastating weather events to date.
Read also:
The tornadoes that hit South Africa on Monday afternoon were not limited to KwaZulu-Natal, as another tornado was reported in the western region, near cities like Newcastle and Utrecht. Despite the catastrophic weather events in Africa, the world continues to evolve with various social and environmental changes.
