South Africa: Cape Town clean-up begins after flooding

Following heavy rains in Cape Town caused flooding in parts of the city, clean up operations have begun.

Eight people have been reported dead, including four children who were killed by electrocution in two separate events. 

Hundreds of homes, including many in impoverished informal settlements, were waterlogged, with families desperately salvaging what they could of their belongings. 

Many homes in the townships on the outskirts of the city have makeshift electricity connections. People connect their houses or shacks to existing power lines, an illegal and dangerous way to power their homes. 

Cold fronts often cause storms in the Cape Town region and the Western Cape province. A cold front in June this year caused around $50 million worth of damage to the Western Cape’s agricultural sector, according to the authorities.