KWANDENGEZI (South Africa) – On Saturday, rains which have left around 400 dead and thousands homeless in South Africa began to pound the East Coast again. This threatening further flooding, forcing people to seek refuge at community centers and town halls.

Although the rains left at most 40,000 people without power, shelter or water on Friday, they were expected to last until next week.

Gloria Linda, who was hiding under a big umbrella on a muddy road near her Kwandengezi community, said that she is so afraid. She lives about 30km (20 miles) away from Durban.

The heavy rains that swept through Kwazulu Natal Province this week knocked down power lines and shut down water services. They also disrupted Durban operations, one of Africa’s busiest ports.

Many people lost their homes, and many people were left homeless. We’ve got no water, no electricity, even our phones are dead – we’re stuck,” Linda said, before meandering down a dirt track to a funeral of a friend killed by the floods.

A family was standing in the rain, looking out at the collapsed metal home of their neighbor, who had several houses that were in disarray.

SABC, the country’s state broadcaster, reported that Saturday’s death toll had now reached 398. 27 persons remain missing. Floods destroyed many families were looking for bodies to bury their loved ones.

Muzi Muzi, a 59-year-old, said that he called police, rang the ambulance and called fire brigade. However, no one responded to the call in time.

“We found four people covered in rubble and by the time we brought them out they had passed away.”