UPDATE: Ladysmith flood death toll rises to 12 after bodies of father and son found

Another body has been found, bringing the death toll of those who perished in the Ladysmith floods to 12. That leaves six now missing, down from the earlier tally of seven.

Earlier on Thursday, five more bodies, including those of a Ladysmith father and his young son, were recovered by rescue personnel following the recent devastating flash flood in the region.

The discovery of the bodies of two women and a man, as well as that of Kenneth Malaton and his three-year-old son, Kale, had initially brought the death toll to 11. Malaton’s nine-year-old daughter has also tragically died in the flood.

IPSS Medical Rescue initially confirmed that there were seven people reported missing.

Ladysmith flash flood tragedy

The flash flood occurred after Ladysmith was hit by a storm on Christmas Eve, leading to a sudden overflow of Bell’s Spruit and the Klip River.

ALSO READ: At least six people dead, 10 still missing after flash floods in Ladysmith

“The heavy rains on Christmas Eve resulted in Bell’s Spruit, which runs under the Mbonontathu Bridge, bursting its banks, causing water to overflow onto the N11 road near the Limit Hill traffic lights in Ladysmith,” a statement of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

“This resulted in severe damage to infrastructure and several vehicles were swept away.”

The heavy rains are said to have impacted 1,400 households.

Vehicles, homes washed away

The local SPCA and caravan park were among the inundated areas, with reports indicating that numerous vehicles were swept away by the floods.

The prefabricated home of the Malaton family had also washed away during the floods.

Malaton and his son, as well as his nine-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, were also swept away at the time, along with their mother, Rozel.

ALSO READ: Heritage Day floods in Western Cape declared ‘national disaster’ costing almost R600m in damages

Rozel survived the ordeal by holding on to a low-lying tree branch. Her husband and children, however, succumbed to the high waters.

More flood victims

During another incident on the same night, a double cab with nine passengers on board was carried away.

Three individuals were discovered deceased within the vehicle, while the whereabouts of the other six passengers remain unknown.

Additional reporting by Vhahangwele Nemakonde