Kruger National Park shuts as deadly floods strike South Africa

BBC:

Flooding in South Africa’s northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga has forced the famed Kruger National Park to halt visits and evacuate some guests and staff by helicopter.

At least 19 people have died in recent weeks in South Africa after torrential rain led to floods that have damaged thousands of homes, washing some away altogether.

Among those killed was a five-year-old boy in the town of Giyani, in Limpopo. President Cyril Ramaphosa met the child’s family to offer his condolences while visiting the region to assess the damage.

A red level 10 warning has been issued by the South African Weather Service, forecasting yet more rain in affected areas and warning communities to stay alert.

“If possible stay indoors and off the roads,” it advises. “Never drive on a road covered by water. If the vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.”

Residents are also advised to move their valuables to a “safe place above the expected flood level”, switch off their electricity at the source, and to move livestock to higher ground.

Wildlife in the national parks are not thought to be at high risk because they tend to instinctively seek out higher land when necessary, rangers say.

In recent days helicopters and the military have been deployed to rescue people in some of the worst-affected areas.

In Limpopo, low-lying bridges have been washed away. Roads and schools were destroyed and many health clinics are inaccessible, officials say.

The province’s governor said on Friday she shared in the “the grief and distress” of her “fellow citizens”, promising 4bn rand ($244m; £182m) to restore vital infrastructure including safe electricity and water supplies.

Within the Kruger National Park, staff accommodation was submerged by water overnight and workers were evacuated to safety.

The Reuters news agency reports that flooding in south-eastern Africa has become more frequent and severe as climate change makes storms in the adjacent Indian Ocean more powerful.