Bulwer - A freak storm destroyed 178 homes, left 66 people injured and one dead in Nkwzela in the Ingwe Local Municipality near Bulwer.
"The storm hit at about 3.45pm on Friday afternoon. A number of people were injured by flying debris and were taken to local hospitals," said Mthokozisi Duze, head of Kwa-Zulu Natal's Provincial Disaster Management.
MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs Nomsa Dube said the situation was very bad in the area. "Communities were destitute, and they don't have homes, food and clothing."
Dube said the provincial government would do everything in its power to help these people rebuild their lives after the storm. "But we as the government we need all the help we can get from other stakeholders and from the business people, to help those families that were left with nothing."
He appealed to the Non Government Organisations (NGOs), businesses to help with food and clothing for the storm victims.
"We are asking the businesses to adopt a family, with the aim of helping the particular family to rebuild their lives after the storm," said Dube.
Dube said the department was still busy with the assessment of the situation in area. "We hope it will be completed before the end of the week."
The members of the Red Cross have started a soup kitchen in the area with the aim of feeding the people who were left homeless without anything to eat.
KZN Provincial Disaster Management Head Mthokozisi Duze said they were also working closely with the South African Weather Service, so that they could alert the people in the area if there were any signs that a storm was going to hit again.
Meanwhile, the department will be paying for the funeral service of the elder woman who died in the storm.
