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Floods claim 10 lives, create havoc in Limpopo
January 23, 2013, 10:15 am

The Limpopo river, Musina. [Getty Images]

The Limpopo river, Musina. [Getty Images]

The South African government is looking at declaring a disaster zone in a flood ravaged district.

Ten people have been killed in Limpopo’s flood-hit Vhembe district, which could now be declared a disaster area.

Cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs provinical minister Clifford Motsepe made the recommendation after hundreds of people were left homeless and several died in floods over the past few days.

District municipality spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai said: “The process of officially declaring the place a disaster area could be done any time now.”

“People, including foreign nationals, are still at assembly points in Musina, where 200 houses collapsed.” Damage assessment was still underway.

At least 10 people have died in the Limpopo floods in the past week.

Several districts in the north of Limpopo are still cut off from the outside world.

Diale said services were searching for the bodies of two children in the Musina area, six people had died in the Vhembe district and four in the Mopani district.

Around 95 people have been rescued from the Kruger National Park.

The Pontdrif, Platjan and Zanzibar border posts were still closed.

Limpopo emergency services have rescued more than 300 people from flooded areas since Tuesday.

With inputs from Agencies