Authorities confirmed that at least 49 people have died following severe flooding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province on Wednesday, and said the death toll was likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continue.
The flooding was triggered by a strong cold front that swept across parts of the country, bringing heavy rain and snow to many areas. Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said police had confirmed the current death toll but said more bodies were still being found.
“Even now, more bodies are being found,” Mabuyane told a press briefing.
Six high school students were among the victims when their school bus was swept away by floodwaters near a river on Tuesday. Four others are still missing. Authorities found the bus on Wednesday morning, but it was empty. Three students had earlier been rescued after clinging to trees.
The Eastern Cape was the hardest-hit region, with widespread destruction reported in Mthatha and the surrounding area. Homes were flooded or swept away, vehicles were swept off roads and infrastructure was damaged. More than 500 people were displaced and moved to temporary shelters, and at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged.
Power outages also affected hundreds of thousands of homes across the province and in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal.
South African Prime Minister Mabuyane said he was shocked by the scale of the disaster: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the affected families and said the National Disaster Management Centre was coordinating with local authorities to manage the crisis.
Weather officials had warned in advance of the approaching extreme weather, which brought damaging rain and snow to parts of southern and eastern South Africa over the weekend.