Santam says it has seen an increase in claims following EC floods

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One of the country’s largest short-term insurers, Santam says it has seen an increase in the number of insurance claims from the Eastern Cape following the recent floods. The insurer says at this stage it is unable to determine the extent or the cost of the damage.

Santam says it has received over 254 claims for damage to property and other assets in the Eastern Cape over the last 48 hours.

Heavy rains and storms have wreaked havoc in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, claiming lives and destroying properties and vehicles.

Santam expects insurance claims to increase in the coming days as impacted policy holders in KwaZulu-Natal begin to submit their claims. Santam spokesperson, Thabo Mabaso says personnel has been deployed to the affected areas to support policy holders.

“By close of business yesterday, we have received just close to 248 claims from the Eastern Cape. Our expectation is that from today we should be received a lot more claims coming in especially particularly from KZN, thus far all of the claims we’ve received are from the Eastern Cape. When a disaster happens it usually takes people who’ve been impacted a day or two to submit claims to submit claims.”

Eastern Cape Floods | Santam sees an increase in claims following floods:

In KwaZulu-Natal, at least 11 people have died while over 120 others have been displaced after losing their homes in the floods. Provincial Manager at the South African Red Cross Society in KZN, Siyabonga Hlatshwayo, elaborates:

“KZN has been affected on a number of occasions.  Just as interventions are still ongoing sometimes it’s so unfortunate that while some support is still in process, then they experience another incident. So KZN has been suffering a lot in terms of the incidents that we’ve been experiencing but I think if we can join hands the private sector coming in, the NGOs also working together in coordination with disaster management centres, I think we can be able to get more support.”

KZN Storms | Red Cross Society on aid it will provide to affected residents: Siyabonga Hlatshwayo: