Newcastle - A major storm hit KwaZulu-Natal on Friday afternoon, leaving more than 1000 homes severely damaged and up to 600 people homeless.
The storm affected the Mathukuza, Madlangeni and Madadeni areas near Newcastle.
Affected community members are being temporarily accommodated in local halls and in tents and provided with blankets and food, while some households have received assistance in the form of building materials to rebuild their roofs which were blown off.
It was reported that many schools were forced to close early as windows were broken and in some instances the roofs of the buildings were blown off.
The disaster management team from the provincial Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs is currently assessing the situation.
"Once we completed the assessment we will write a report to be presented before the provincial cabinet and see how we can assist those people who were affected by the storm," said departmental MEC Nomsa Dube after a visit the area on Saturday.
The storm comes within a month after a storm in the Kwezela area where 183 homes were destroyed, 65 people were injured and two died. Another storm in the Marianhill, Molweni, Klaarwater, Inchange, Hammarsdale and Hillcrest areas left more than 100 families homeless.
