At least 341 people have been killed in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, by heavy rains and flooding, with additional storms forecast in the coming days.

Officials anticipate that the death toll will continue to grow as scores of people, including entire families, remain unaccounted for.

On Thursday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid a visit to flood victims on the country's east coast.

"You are battling one of the largest incidents we have ever witnessed. We assumed such incidents occurred only in other countries, such as Mozambique or Zimbabwe," Mr. Ramaphosa told victims.

Durban and the neighboring eThekwini metropolitan area sustained damage estimated at $52 million on Thursday, eThekwini Mayor Mxolosi Kaunda said.

Education Minister Angie Motshekga said officials temporarily closed all schools in the province after at least 18 kids and one teacher from various institutions died in the floods.

The relentless rains have devastated the province, which has destroyed homes, collapsed buildings, and washed away important roadways.

Mozambique has also been devastated by severe floods over the previous decade, the most recent of which killed more than 50 people last month.

Global warming, scientists predict, will exacerbate the impact of such weather systems on Africa's southeast coast over the next few decades.

These recent rains have been described as not tropical in origin but rather as a meteorological system known as a cut-off low that delivered rain and chilly weather to a large portion of the country.

Meanwhile, according to South African media sources, police fired stun grenades to remove locals protesting the lack of official aid in the Reservoir Hills suburb of Durban.

South African National Defence Force troops have been dispatched to assist in rescue and clean-up efforts.

Water and power have been cut off in huge portions of Durban and the neighboring eThekwini metropolitan area, and officials estimate that it would take at least a week to restore such services.

Additionally, the storm forced Sub-Saharan Africa's most vital port to suspend operations due to extensive damage to the main access route.

Other sections of the road were washed away, leaving gashes in the dirt the size of enormous lorries.