{
  "id": 18669621,
  "title": "Durban flood victims face worsening conditions in Astra Building",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/durban-flood-victims-face-worsening-conditions-in-astra-building",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/news/2026-11-07-durban-flood-victims-face-worsening-conditions-in-astra-building/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four years after the April 2022 floods, 285 displaced residents at Durban’s Astra Building are enduring worsening conditions due to a broken lift, water outages, refuse and leaking roofs. The building, located on Joseph Nduli Street (previously Russell Street), has housed residents displaced from nine community halls in eThekwini since December 2022. The affected areas include Umlazi, Mountview, Verulam, Yellowwood Park, Ntuzuma, Chesterville, Mega Village and Mpola. Daily challenges faced by the residents include the non-functional elevator, frequent water shortages and uncollected waste.\n\nRuth Mthethwa, a 66-year-old resident from Mpola, compared her living situation to jail, stating that prisoners receive basic amenities like food and water, while in Astra Building, residents must purchase their own provisions. Mthethwa, who has been suffering for three months without an elevator, has to climb 14 flights of stairs multiple times daily, even carrying groceries and a walking stick. Her living conditions have become unbearable, forcing her to collect water from the nearest building during outages.\n\nSibongile Mkhize, a flood victim and activist from Umlazi, emphasized the difficulties faced by vulnerable residents, including the elderly, disabled and children, in the building without a working elevator. The elevator had been non-functional since September 2026, leading to hardships for all residents. Mkhize, who sells food on the streets to support her family of four, was shocked to learn that she is prohibited from cooking and selling food in the building. She also highlighted the government's failure to provide assistance or support for the victims.",
  "summary": "Residents displaced by KwaZulu-Natal’s April 2022 floods say a broken lift, water outages, refuse and leaking roofs have made life increasingly difficult at Durban’s Astra Building.",
  "key_points": [
    "285 residents endure worsening conditions in Durban's Astra Building since 2022 floods",
    "Non-functional lift forces residents to climb 14 flights of stairs daily",
    "Government fails to provide assistance or support for flood victims"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}