Flood Leaves 130 Dead, 1,000 Homeless

In one of South Africa’s worst floods, at least 130 people have drowned and up to 1,000 are reported homeless after a rain-swollen river raged through crowded Zulu townships and squatter camps near Pietermaritzburg, officials said Tuesday.

Military and police rescue teams helped search for survivors and recovered bodies Tuesday afternoon in the Edendale Valley, a cluster of slum communities in KwaZulu/Natal province about 240 miles southeast of Johannesburg.

A torrential downpour Monday evening caused the Umsunduzi River and several of its tributaries to surge into nearby shantytowns, leaving hundreds homeless. Many of the shacks and their occupants, as well as cars and trees, were washed away before the floodwaters subsided Tuesday.

Rescue teams working from boats and a military helicopter pulled survivors from rooftops and trees, while divers and police dogs helped volunteers search riverbanks for bodies. Relief operations and communications were hampered by heavy damage to local roads and power lines.