Severe thunderstorms hit Eastern Cape, claiming 6 lives and damaging more than 1 000 homes, South Africa

Severe thunderstorms hit the province of Eastern Cape, South Africa over the past couple of days, claiming the lives of at least 6 people and damaging more than 1 000 homes.

The latest areas to be hit by the storms include the municipalities of Amathole, Raymond Mhlaba, Amahlathi and Buffalo City.

The storms hit just as residents of the OR Tambo district were picking up the pieces after last week's severe thunderstorms in the region, which left six people dead and 142 others homeless.¹

With the latest storms on Monday, which brought hail, excessive lighting and strong damaging winds, the number of damaged homes surpassed 1 000.

According to Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman, the number of homes damaged by the storm might be more than that because not everyone has been reached yet.²

"In addition to the houses, businesses have been damaged by the storm, 14 clinics and three hospitals have also been damaged. The destruction is huge so we’re starting with the basics. Sometimes people just want to be comforted and someone to tell them something is being done," Sooliman told Newzroom Afrika.³

References:

¹ Update from severe hail storm hit Eastern Cape – SABC News

² EC storm kills six people, damages more than 1,000 homes – The Citizen

³ Severe storms have claimed the lives of six people and displaced hundreds in EC – Newzroom Afrika

Featured image credit: Newzroom Africa (stillshot)