2 killed in floods in South Africa's Western Cape

Cape Town, June 21

The recent floods in the Western Cape province of South Africa have left two people killed and could cause up to one billion rand (about $54.5 million) damage to local agriculture.

The Western Cape government said on Tuesday that the initial flood damage assessment is estimated to be between 750 million and one billion rand for the province's agricultural sector, according to local media.

However, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, head of the provincial government, said that it was too soon to tell the extent of the damage caused by the recent floods.

Winde said that it was going to take some time before all the damage assessments were complete, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Unfortunately, two people have lost their lives in the flood. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the loved ones of those lost. Each life lost is a tragedy," he was quoted by the provincial government website as saying.

A series of cold fronts which led to heavy rains between June 14 and June 19 caused severe flooding in some regions of the Western Cape, the southernmost province of South Africa. At least two people died and thousands of others have been displaced in the floods since last week.

The public is urged to remain vigilant by avoiding river crossings and roads that have been affected by flooding.