( CNN ) -- As many as 32 tourists who were trapped in South Africa 's Kruger National Park after torrential rains and flooding have been rescued , park officials said Thursday . At least 70 other tourists , including Italians and Britons , and 10 staff members who were trapped in the rising waters had already been evacuated from washed-away cars and flooded camps at the safari destination , the officials said . David Mabunda , the chief executive of South African National Parks , flew over the park Thursday to witness the extent of the damage . He says there were no serious injuries and no people or animals were killed . The most serious damage was to the infrastructure . `` Roads , bridges , culverts , water supply pumps have been washed away . Barring a few tents , there has been limited damage to the tourism facilities , '' he said . At least 1,800 people are believed to have been in the park when the rain and flooding began Monday . The park has been declared 80 % operational and the repair work is expected to take less than six months to complete . `` The sun is shining now . The main roads are still accessible and that is where most of the highlights are , so people must continue to come to the park , '' Mabunda told CNN . This is not the first time the Kruger , as it is popularly known , has been hit by floods . It took 10 months to repair the damage caused by rains in 2000 . Mabunda says this time , disaster management was more prepared and so were the park 's buildings . `` Our tourism facilities stood the test of the floods . The embankments and walls withstood the impact . The only problem we have now is water supply to the camps , which is a problem we are working on . We are also limiting day visitors in order to cope better . '' Visitors already in the park were `` urged to exercise caution around rivers as crocodiles are likely to be in flat areas , '' according to a statement on the South African National Parks website . The park plans to ask the government to help cover some of the repair costs . Kruger National Park , South Africa 's flagship big-game park and a top destination of foreign tourists , was established in 1898 . It covers more than 7,500 square miles and boasts hundreds of animal and plant species , according to the National Parks ' website .
NEW : 32 trapped tourists were rescued at the park Thursday . Several camps were stranded after torrential rains fell Monday . 80 people have already been evacuated from the Kruger National Park , officials say . TL;DR A new storm system is expected to hit South Africa on Saturday and Sunday.