Flooding in northern South Africa forces evacuations in Kruger National Park and leaves 19 dead elsewhere

Yahoo
Yahoo
1d ago
Weeks of torrential rain in northern South Africa forced Kruger National Park to suspend visits and evacuate some guests and staff by helicopter, while at least 19 people died in other parts of the region.
Flooding in northern South Africa forces evacuations in Kruger National Park and leaves 19 dead elsewhere
A What happened
Flooding from weeks of torrential rain in northern South Africa led Kruger National Park to suspend visits and evacuate some guests and staff members by helicopter. The national parks agency closed several of Kruger’s nine entrances and barred day visitors until conditions improve. At least 19 people died in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces since the rains began last month, according to the National Disaster Management Center. The South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for parts of the northern region and forecast 100 to 200 millimeters of rain over the next two days.

Key insights

  • 1

    Red-level weather alert warns of life-threatening flooding: The South African Weather Service said further heavy downpours were expected and warned that flooding would endanger lives, displace communities, and cause widespread damage to infrastructure.

  • 2

    Park operations restricted as a precaution: The national parks agency barred day visitors and closed several entrances, and it evacuated guests and staff from flooded camps by helicopter.

Takeaways

Flooding and continued heavy-rain forecasts have disrupted access to Kruger National Park, prompted helicopter evacuations, and coincided with at least 19 reported deaths in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

Topics

Climate & Environment Natural Disasters Law & Public Safety Public Safety

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