Dad breaks down as police find the body of his 22-month-old daughter

After nine days of searching‚ the body of missing toddler Okuhle Kweyama was pulled from a river in Umlazi’s E-Section on Thursday.

Her sodden form‚ found lying face down in the mud‚ was identified by her father on the scene. Surrounded by members of his family‚ he broke down in tears.

The toddler was washed away when the river near her crèche in Umlazi D-section overflowed during a storm that ravaged KwaZulu-Natal last Tuesday.

The little girl had been pulled from the rising waters and placed on an embankment by a passing schoolboy. But as the scholar returned to rescue other children from the crèche‚ the toddler was washed away by the torrent.

The storm battered the coast of KwaZulu-Natal for 12 hours and has so far claimed 16 lives.

Damage from the extreme weather is expected to run into the billions‚ with crucial state infrastructure like hospitals and schools damaged by heavy rains and driving winds.

Okuhle was the last missing person.