The famed Kruger National Park in South Africa has been forced to close its doors as heavy flooding batters the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Officials have begun evacuating guests and staff by helicopter due to unsafe conditions.
In the past weeks, at least 19 people have tragically lost their lives due to the flooding, with reports highlighting the death of a five-year-old boy from Giyani. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the family during his visit to the affected areas.
The South African Weather Service has issued a red level 10 warning, predicting continued heavy rainfall, and advising local residents to stay inside and avoid flooded roads. Citizens are encouraged to move their valuables to higher ground and to utilize military and emergency services, which have been deployed for rescues in vulnerable locations.
This series of floods marks another distressing indication of increasingly severe weather patterns in southern Africa, a region where flooding incidents have surged, attributed to climate change driving more powerful storms in the Indian Ocean.
As communities brace for the impact of further rains, it stands as a stark reminder of the growing climate crisis affecting millions worldwide.
