Mpumalanga: 19 flood deaths, 28 schools damaged.

The Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs in Mpumalanga says that, since the start of the summer rainfall season in November, the province has kept all disaster management teams and emergency personnel fully activated across provincial, district, and local municipality levels. The department says it has recorded 19 fatalities related to the heavy rains and flooding. This includes one confirmed drowning of a woman reported last night, bringing the total to 19.Most deaths have been due to drowning. The department says more than a thousand homes have been damaged, with roofs blown off, structures collapsed, and many mud houses completely demolished. Public infrastructure has also been affected. Around 28 schools have reported damage, with some currently inaccessible. The department’s head of communication, Freddy Ngobe, gives a report on the recent rains in Mpumalanga.