The death toll from devastating floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has climbed to 57, officials confirmed Thursday, as rescue operations entered their third day.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, who visited the affected areas near the town of Mthatha, described the situation as “a real disaster and a catastrophe when we have so many people dying.”
Search and rescue teams have been combing through flood-hit communities since early Tuesday, when torrential rain and strong winds overwhelmed the region in the wake of a powerful cold front. The Eastern Cape, one of South Africa’s most impoverished provinces, has been left reeling by the scale of destruction.
Authorities had previously confirmed 49 fatalities by Wednesday, but warned that the number would likely rise as more bodies were recovered and missing persons located.
Among the victims were six high school students who died when their school bus was swept away by floodwaters near a river. Three other students survived the ordeal by clinging to trees and calling for help, while four more had initially been listed as missing.
The disaster followed a period of extreme weather, with forecasters last week issuing warnings about a cold front bringing heavy rainfall, gale-force winds, and even snow to parts of southern and eastern South Africa.
With input from AP
