At least 49 people have been confirmed dead following catastrophic floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, with officials warning the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue searching for the missing. The rural region, already among the country’s poorest, was battered early Tuesday by torrential rains, gale-force winds, and even snowfall—triggered by a severe weather front.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane described the devastation as unprecedented, stating, “I have never seen something like this.” He confirmed that bodies were still being recovered, and the town of Mthatha was among the hardest hit.
Among the dead were six high school students whose school bus was swept away by floodwaters near a river outside Mthatha. The bus was found empty the following day. Three students were rescued after being found clinging to trees. A driver and another adult onboard also perished, while four other students remain missing.
Rescue operations will continue into Thursday as authorities work with families to account for the missing. The province has seen extensive damage: hundreds of homes destroyed, entire communities displaced, and at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals damaged.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described the situation as one of “devastation” and confirmed that the National Disaster Management Center is coordinating with local authorities. Power outages have affected hundreds of thousands in Eastern Cape and neighboring KwaZulu-Natal, where heavy snow and mudslides were also reported.
In areas around Mthatha, floodwaters left homes submerged, vehicles overturned, and debris scattered across towns. The scope of destruction echoes the 2022 disaster in Durban, when over 400 lives were lost due to prolonged rains and flooding.
Vulnerable communities living in informal housing continue to bear the brunt of South Africa’s intensifying climate extremes.
Swifteradio.com
