“The damages seem quite severe and we have received a significant volume of claims. We expect a significant number of new claims will be reported in the coming days, and we have mobilized our teams to deal with the expected volumes to ensure continuity of customer service in these difficult times”said Old Mutual Insure Chief Actuary Ronald Richman
South Africa’s deadliest floods in nearly three decades claimed more than 250 lives and hobbled the nation’s busiest port.
Transnet SOC Ltd., the state-owned port and rail operator, is gradually resuming operations at the Port of Durban that was shuttered on April 11, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said in a statement. Shipping remains suspended while the authorities determine whether its safe for vessels to dock, he said.
At least 259 people have died because of the floods, according to the government. The deluge came after weather stations in the eastern region reported the heaviest rainfall in at least six decades, with some recording more than 300 millimeters (12 inches) within 24 hours — an amount normally associated with intense hurricanes.
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s biggest container line, closed its Durban offices and asked employees to work from home for the rest of the week. Mobile-phone operators MTN Group Ltd. and Vodacom Group Ltd., paper company Sappi Ltd. and other firms have been affected by the floods. Insurers Old Mutual Ltd. and Santam Ltd. said they are assessing the extent of the destruction.
“The damages seem quite severe and we have received a significant volume of claims,” said Old Mutual Insure Chief Actuary Ronald Richman.
“We expect a significant number of new claims will be reported in the coming days, and we have mobilized our teams to deal with the expected volumes to ensure continuity of customer service in these difficult times,” he said.
Many of Vodacom’s mobile-phone towers remain inaccessible because the roads had been eroded and there was a risk of electrical shocks, meaning the extent of the damage couldn’t yet be assessed, company spokesman Byron Kennedy said in a text message.
Private hospital operator Netcare Ltd. said some of its facilities were no longer accessible, resulting in staff shortages and challenges in transferring patients and supplies, although all of them remained open.
Retailer Pepkor Holdings Ltd.’s Isipingo distribution center in Durban sustained significant damage and had been temporarily closed. The company said its losses were still being quantified and it was adequately insured.