More than 600 people died in Nigeria's devastating floods
AFP

Authorities in South Africa said that 12 people had died in floods triggered by torrential rainfall after President Ramaphosa proclaimed a national state of disaster.

The bad weather struck the east, north, and south of the country, killing people in four of the country's nine provinces. The northeastern South African province of Mpumalanga appears to be the hardest hit thus far, WION reported.

Some places received more than 20 centimeters (nearly eight inches) of rain in a single day. Moreover, Kruger National Park has been battered by torrential rainfall since last week, which has blocked off access to multiple sites due to overflowing rivers and flooded roads.

According to a statement released by South African National Parks, all dirt roads and several paved roads in the southern section of the Kruger National Park have been blocked. One of the main throughways has been swept away at three locations. Also, two rest camps, one overnight house, two bush camps, and one entrance gate have been shut.

"All tar roads are open, although some of them might be closed at short intervals if deemed unsafe to use, and then reopened again. This is due to some of the streams rising and low-level bridges getting flooded when we experience flash floods," said Oscar Mthimkhulu, managing executive of the Kruger National Park.

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a National State of Disaster on Monday, giving the government more authority to launch a comprehensive response. The national police and defense forces could be called upon to help deal with the significant effects, according to a statement from the office of the President.

Flooding, especially in the eastern section of the country, was triggered by a stalled cold frontal boundary that delivered numerous thunderstorms. The severity of the rainfall was influenced by the La Nina climatic trend, which favored above-average precipitation in South Africa.

Between April 11–13 of last year, the country witnessed the most devastating floods and landslides in the southeast of South Africa that killed 448 people, displaced over 40,000 people, and severely damaged over 12,000 houses.