
IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Many residents along the coast fear their homes may collapse after mudslides
It happened in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, where many people are still missing and emergency services are searching for survivors.
Some in the city of Durban are standing on rooftops awaiting rescue, but local media report that only one helicopter is available to lift people away.
Key roads across the city are shut and mudslides have destroyed many homes.
The mayor of eThekwini – which is the area including Durban and its surrounding towns – has apologised to residents who were left stranded after the emergency call centre was overwhelmed overnight.
Residents who fear their homes may collapse should seek shelter in community halls, Mayor Kaunda advises.
South Africans have been posting photos online of the destruction, including this collapsed road in the resort town of Umdloti:
Another man shared footage what he said was a destroyed bridge in the Everton conservancy, just outside of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality:
Floodwaters disturbed graves at nearby Ntuzuma Cemetery with reports of human bones washing on to the street, and an anti-theft vehicle-tracking agency posted footage on Twitter showing what it said was a human skull that had washed up.
More rainfall is expected across southern KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, according to the South African Weather Service, which is advising citizens to stay clear of flooded roads and bridges.


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