A spate of bush fires across South Africa killed 16 people over the weekend, officials say.

Several different fires left 13 dead in KwaZulu-Natal province, the EMRS ambulance service said.

Three people including two children died in the Eastern Cape when their shack caught fire, according to police.

The fires were being fanned by strong winds, which also caused some damage and injuries. A weather forecaster said the winds and fires would continue.

"There are still fires burning on the eastern Highveld, in Swaziland and northern KwaZulu-Natal and there are isolated fires over Limpopo," said Evert Scholtz, according to the Sapa news agency.

Severe storms have left dozens of people homeless in Cape Town.

"This particular situation has never been experienced before. Reports are coming in from all over the country," Percy Morokane from Johannebsurg's Emergency Services told the BBC.

The National Sea Rescue Institute has urged people not to go into the sea because of storms and high waves.


Source: BBC