Johannesburg: The number of people killed by the devastating floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has climbed to 49, provincial Premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed on Wednesday.
The region has been battered by intense rainfall and snowfall since the weekend, part of a powerful cold front sweeping across parts of the country. The extreme weather has led to significant disruptions in transport and electricity supply.
Speaking at a press briefing, Mabuyane said the situation had worsened, with the latest death toll reaching 49. Among the incidents reported, a tragic case near Mthatha involved a school bus being swept away by floodwaters. Authorities have recovered eight bodies, according to a provincial safety official.
Mabuyane clarified that six of those confirmed dead had been on the bus, which was transporting 13 schoolchildren and two adults. Four individuals remain missing.
Flooding events like this have grown increasingly frequent and destructive in South Africa, reflecting the escalating effects of climate change. A similar storm in April 2022 along the East Coast resulted in around 400 fatalities and left thousands without homes.
