After severe floods caused havoc in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, the death toll has risen to over 300.
The area has been designated a catastrophe after some sections received months' worth of rain in a single day.
Officials have described it as "one of the worst weather events in our country's history."
People have been trapped under buildings due to mudslides, and further floods are forecast.
According to reports, poor visibility is hampering the rescue attempt as a helicopter continues to transport individuals to safety.
The BBC watched one such search effort on Tuesday for a 10-year-old girl who was washed away with her family of four on a flooded bridge.
Volunteers from the community jumped into the muddy river, taking turns hacking away at the branches with machetes and clearing garbage and trash that had swept downstream.
Jomba Phiri, who lives in Durban, the region's largest city, claimed his home was carried away by the floods.
He told the news agency Reuters, "I don't know where we're going to sleep now."
The N3 motorway, which connects Durban to Gauteng province, South Africa's economic core, has been partially shut.
President Cyril Ramaphosa paid a visit to the region and expressed his willingness to assist.
"Even though your hearts are in sorrow, we're here for you," he said, according to the Reuters news agency.
Some have questioned his use of the term "force of nature" to characterise the calamity.