JOHANNESBURG, 19th April, 2022 (WAM) -- Storms in South Africa have killed at least 443 people and dozens are still missing, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday as he announced a national state of disaster.

According to the German news agency (dpa), about 48 people were still unaccounted for, Ramaphosa said in a televised speech.

Some 200 to 400 millimetres of rain hit the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the 24-hours from 11th April, he said.

The rain had caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, houses and had disrupted food and fuel supplies. An estimated 40,000 people have been displaced by flooding, Ramaphosa said.

This is a humanitarian disaster that calls for a massive and urgent relief effort. The lives, health and well-being of thousands of people are still at risk.