Heavy rain has left a trail of destruction in KwaZulu-Natal as Disaster Management teams worked throughout the night responding to various incidents.

Late on Monday, the Cooperative Governance Department had counted two fatalities from two separate incidents in KwaMashu and Umlazi where homes had collapsed on people.

Persistent rain rendered roads unusable and closed several roads that have been waterlogged or covered in mudslides.

In the eThekwini Municipality, several community halls were converted into shelters for people whose homes were washed away.

Emergency officials reported that several cars were swept away. Damage to businesses and homes is believed to be widespread from uMdloti and Stanger to Amanzimtoti.

Several schools and creches are also believed to have been affected, prompting a call from the provincial Education Department for parents to be cautious when sending their children to school.

National roads in the province have also not been spared as heavy downpours wreck havoc in KZN.

Parts of both the N3 and N2 have been affected with several road closures.

Water is flowing like a river along the N2, with several shipping containers strewn along the way. 

The South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral) Nomsa Modise says their teams are on the ground to assess the extent of the damage. She has urged motorists to delay their travel.

“We advise motorists that the state of the national road network has been affected greatly in KZN. The N2 south towards the Toti area has been affected, as the N2 north around Nandi Drive and up north. We’ve also realised some sinkholes that have come up on the N3 around Marian Hill. The technical teams are on the ground trying to work their way through to try and facilitate lane closures and the availability of lanes for motorists to be able to pass. We need people to consider delaying travel,” Modise says.

#sabcnews #sabckzn Persistent rains continue to cause havoc in KZN. Parts of N2 and N3 are affected, Sanral is assessing damage. In Dbn community halls have been opened as shelters. pic.twitter.com/wVUILuT3W4

— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) April 12, 2022

Several people remain missing. This is a developing story.

SABC News