At least 12 people died today in floods in South Africa, where a state of natural disaster was declared following the heavy rains that affected several regions of the country, including the well-known Kruger Park.

According to the French news agency France-Presse (AFP), quoted by Lusa, Tuesday's death toll adds to the 7 of the previous day, and the state of natural disaster now covers seven of the nine provinces of the country, the southernmost in sub-Saharan Africa and bordering Mozambique, which is also facing heavy rains in the south.

"Mpumalanga province (northeast) seems to be the worst affected so far, and the situation in Kruger Park is not good at all," disaster management department spokeswoman Lungi Mtshali told AFP.

The country's largest national reserve, which covers 2 million hectares, has several rivers running through it, most of which have been flooded since the weekend, according to the National Weather Forecasting Institute (SAWS).

"Travel within the park is restricted because some roads are damaged, but the situation is still manageable," Isaac Phaahla, spokesman for the national parks agency (SanPark), told AFP, adding that several camps within the reserve had been evacuated as a precaution in recent days.

After the sudden downpours that interrupted the summer in South Africa, the forecast for the next few days is not encouraging either, with the forecast pointing to more rain, with the aggravating factor that rivers and land are already saturated with water, which will lead to more flooding for at least the rest of the week, according to SAWS meteorologist Puseletso Mofokeng.

South Africa suffered the worst floods in its history last year, mainly affecting Durban, the country's third largest city and a major port, where heavy rains triggered massive landslides and mudslides that swept away people, bridges, roads and even entire buildings.

More than 400 people died and more than 85,000 were affected by these storms in 2022.