Missing people from Ladysmith flooding now at 12

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The number of missing people after flash floods hit Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Christmas Eve has risen to 12.

The bodies of six victims have been recovered so far after the Bellspruit burst its banks due to heavy rains in a severe thunderstorm.

Search and rescue teams, including members of the police and emergency service IPSS, are continuing their search for the missing today.

Update on search and rescue efforts:

Washed up clothing, blankets and other belongings have been found in and near the river.

IPSS spokesperson Tereza van den Berg says they received a report yesterday of a motorist who went missing on the Newcastle side of the town.

“And we got a call from community members that’s on the way to, I think, the Newcastle area. That there’s a car in the middle of the river. But when we got there, unfortunately the levels of the water were still very high. There was one lady who was in that vehicle when it left home and she was never seen again. So, we’ve got a team in that area that’s searching for that missing lady as well. The water has subsided a bit so they could get to the vehicle but were searching for the lady.”