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Floods leave 150 homeless

    JOHANNESBURG

    About 150 people have been left homeless after a freak flood swept through Ballito townships along the northern KwaZulu-Natal coast on Wednesday, media reports said. The waters destroyed at least 30 homes in a new low-cost housing settlement, which was completed only 18 months ago in Nkobongo.

    “The water was chest height in some areas,” said Kenny Naidoo, spokesman for the Dolphin Coast Rescue Services that rescued 90 adults and 60 children. The flood refugees are being sheltered at the Nkobongo Community Hall where they have been given food and blankets.

    Naidoo said the flooding was caused by a run-off from neighbouring sugarcane fields. The Ballito municipality is taking care of the refugees and a meeting will be held on Thursday to discuss the establishment of a relief fund.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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