A general view of damaged homes and a crack in the road following heavy rains and winds in Durban (AFP)

Authorities said, on Tuesday, that at least 45 people were killed in floods and mudslides caused by rainstorms in the South African port city of Durban and the surrounding KwaZulu-Natal province.

In a statement, the province's Department of Cooperative Governance stated that "the latest reports indicate that over 45 people have lost their lives as a result of the heavy rains, this number could possibly increase as more reports come in."

Days of torrential rain flooded several areas and closed dozens of roads across the city's southeastern outskirts, while landslides forced the suspension of train services across KwaZulu-Natal.

Furthermore, private emergency and rescue workers and paramedics shared video footage of flooded city highways, submerged cars, and collapsed houses.

The disaster management department in KwaZulu-Natal province, of which Durban is the capital, urged people to stay at home and ordered those living in low-lying areas to relocate to higher ground.

More than 2,000 houses and 4,000 "informal" homes, or shacks, have been damaged, according to provincial premier Sihle Zikala, during a press conference broadcast live on television.

Rescue operations are underway, aided by the military, to evacuate people trapped in affected areas, according to the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance.

According to the report, those trapped include teachers and students from a Durban secondary school.

Mxolisi Kaunda, the mayor of Durban, earlier told reporters that power stations had been flooded and water supplies had been disrupted and even graveyards had not been spared the devastation.

PRASA, the country's rail service, said landslides and rubble on the tracks forced it to halt all train services in the province.

The city had only recently recovered from deadly riots in July, during which shopping malls were looted and warehouses were set on fire in South Africa's worst unrest since apartheid's end.