Rescue efforts are underway in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, with the death toll from catastrophic flooding rising to 57, according to government officials.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, who visited the affected area, described the situation around the town of Mthatha as “a real disaster and a catastrophe”, highlighting the heavy human toll.
Search and rescue teams resumed operations for a third day on Thursday, searching for missing residents in flood-affected areas. Authorities had reported 49 confirmed deaths on Wednesday, but warned that number was likely to rise as searches continued in Mthatha and surrounding communities, which were submerged in the early hours of Tuesday.
Among the missing were four high school students who were swept away when their bus was swept away by floodwaters near a river. Six of the students on the bus were confirmed dead, while three others survived by clinging to trees and calling for help, according to the provincial government.
The disaster came after a severe cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to the east and south of South Africa. Weather services had issued warnings ahead of the storm.
Authorities reported widespread destruction across the province, with 58 schools and 20 hospitals damaged. Hundreds of homes were flooded or destroyed, leaving many families homeless. Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said critical infrastructure, including roads and bridges, had also been severely affected, describing the flooding as one of the worst weather disasters in the province’s history.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has mobilised the National Disaster Management Centre to support relief efforts and said he will visit the affected area on Friday.