UPDATE: Six people dead as heavy rains trigger devastating mudslides in KZN

Heavy rains triggered devastating mudslides and structural collapses across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), claiming six lives and causing significant damage to property since Wednesday night.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi confirmed this on Thursday afternoon.

“A total of six people have passed away since last night due to the heavy rains in Durban, especially in areas like Umlazi, KwaMakuta, and Isipingo, where even three family members lost their lives when the house collapsed on top of them and others through a mudslide. A young child was swept away by a river in uShowe,” Buthelezi said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

KZN mudslide rescue operations underway

After the heavy rain on Wednesday, the eThekwini Municipality’s disaster management and emergency services responded to incidents that resulted in multiple fatalities across southern parts of Durban.

The number of fatalities on Thursday has gradually increased.

Among those who died are two parents who were trapped in their house.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson explained that eThekwini fire and emergency rescue workers were attending to structural collapses caused by sand banks washing into homes in the early hours of Thursday.

“In the first instance, a bank tore through the home in which a family — mother, father and two children — were inside. Fortunately, the children managed to escape, but the parents were buried under the sand and rubble,” Jamieson stated.

A second incident in the same area resulted in one more person being buried. Rescue teams were actively working to extricate the victims.

Providing details of the rescue operation, Jamieson said: “ALS paramedics, together with police rescue and the fire department are currently on the scene of a structural collapse. At this house, the bank collapsed from behind and pretty much destroyed this house. It is believed that a mother and a father are entrapped in this wreckage or in this rubble.”

It was later reported that four fatalities were reported in Folweni, KwaMakhutha, Demat and Ensimbini after walls collapsed while occupants were asleep.

The victims include a 45-year-old male in KwaMakhutha, a 13-year-old male in Folweni, a 12-year-old female in Demat and a 13-year-old female in Ensimbini.

Rescue operations are continuing in the Adams Mission area where additional entrapments have been reported.

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Widespread flooding in coastal areas

The destruction extended beyond KwaMakuta. According to the Forecast Early Warning System, 184mm of rain was reported in the Amanzimtoti area between midnight to 5am on Thursday morning.

Several homes and businesses between Isipingo and Winklespruit south of Durban were flooded after the heavy rains.

Most impacts have been related to flooding, especially in the southern parts of the city.

Affected areas include Amanzimtoti, Morton, Clairwood, and Isipingo. The flooding caused significant traffic disruptions with road closures in several parts of the city.

Prospecton has limited access due to flooding, and motorists are advised to follow traffic reports and use alternative routes.

The N2 near the old airport became impassable due to water accumulation on the highway. Other affected areas included Crab City near Isipingo beach, Prospecton, and several businesses in the Amanzimtoti CBD.

There were numerous reports of uprooted trees obstructing roadways in Chatsworth, Umkhomazi, Morningside, and Verulam. Canals are flowing at full capacity with the risk of flooding nearby properties in the south of Durban near the Isipingo and Prospecton areas.

Moreover, several beaches have been temporarily closed until further notice.

“The muddy water and pollution streaming in from flooded estuaries has led to the temporary closure of the uMdloti Beach, Isiphingo Beach, Pipeline Beach, Toti Main Beach, Warner Beach, Winklespruit Beach and uMgababa Beach. These above beaches will be reopened as soon as conditions allow.”

Electricity outages have been reported in some areas, and ongoing restoration is underway.

All clinics are operational and open to the public.

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KZN government response to weather crisis

MEC Buthelezi emphasised the increasing threat posed by climate change: “All these issues again point us to the threats posed by climate change, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, as it is clear now that we are a disaster-prone province, and we need to double our efforts to mitigate the impacts of this disaster.”

When asked about supporting affected families, Buthelezi responded: “Our rescue teams have been on the ground since this morning to try and retrieve the bodies, also using heavy machinery to try and remove the rubble. We will be also visiting the affected families.”

He stressed the need for long-term solutions: “As government, we need now to start investing in climate change-resilient infrastructure, and all our efforts going forward need to be enhanced by technology so that our people avoid those areas which would put them at risk.”

Addressing the challenge of informal settlements in vulnerable areas, the Buthelezi added: “This morning, we have signed various MOUs with social partners ranging from the South African Red Cross Society to Old Mutual to Alim Dad, so that we coordinate our efforts as the private sector and as government to respond to this crisis.”

Prolonged rainfall affecting multiple areas

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) had issued an orange level 5 disruptive rainfall warning for KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, predicting potential localised floods affecting exposed areas, bridges, and roads.

MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma also issued a media statement highlighting the severe weather conditions affecting multiple regions.

He said the weather service warned of prolonged rainfall across several districts in the province.

“We are in receipt of weather reports from the South African Weather Services indicating that we are likely to experience a prolonged rainfall in various parts of KwaZulu-Natal such as the following districts: uMgungundlovu, Amajuba, uThukela, eThekwini, Zululand, Ilembe, and Umkhanyakude,” Duma stated.

He emphasised the increased danger on roads and urged drivers to exercise caution, particularly those transporting schoolchildren.

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Relief efforts underway

Duma assured residents that emergency response teams were ready to provide immediate assistance to affected communities.

“We wish to report that a roving team from Human Settlements is also on standby to ensure quick intervention if there is any destruction of houses,” said Duma.

The city has activated its joint Disaster Management Operations Centre to coordinate its response to the impacts of the latest weather-related incidents. Disaster Management, Emergency Rescue teams, and other municipal departments are working together to conduct rescue operations and assessments.

“There are families that were affected by prolonged rainfall that started on the 1st of January 2025. We are ready to hand over contractors to build temporary accommodation for these families,” Duma added.

The financial implications associated with incidents from the adverse weather have not yet been quantified as this requires extensive assessments after the mop-up operations.

Despite the ongoing weather crisis, Duma confirmed that infrastructure development projects would continue as scheduled, highlighting current efforts in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality to rehabilitate the P32 road from KwaMaphimbane to Uitval communities.

Local authorities continue to monitor the situation as rescue and relief efforts progress throughout the affected regions.

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