JOHANNESBURG, July 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 14,000 structures have been damaged in various parts of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, affecting over 15,000 people, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said on Thursday.
In Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, 6,928 structures have been affected, impacting more than 8,000 people, Winde said.
The Western Cape Province has been experiencing heavy rains and strong winds since Sunday, which have destroyed infrastructure and homes, and interrupted power supply in parts of the province.
Dam levels in affected areas across the province continue to rise, and the local Department of Water and Sanitation is closely monitoring the dams, Winde noted.
"All stakeholders, including disaster management teams, law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations and faith-based groups, have been working incredibly hard under terrible conditions to keep residents out of harm's way," Winde said.
Western Cape Provincial Education Minister David John Maynier said on Thursday that a total of 217 schools across the province have reported some form of damage to infrastructure.
On Thursday, the South African Weather Service issued an Orange Level-8 warning for disruptive rains, strong winds and mudslides for the Cape Town Metropole, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch areas of the province.
