In a tragic turn of events, the Eastern Cape province of South Africa has been rocked by heavy rains leading to severe flash floods that have claimed at least 49 lives. This unprecedented storm, which struck on Monday and Tuesday, disproportionately affected rural areas, resulting in homes being inundated and thousands of residents being forced to evacuate.
The calamity particularly hit the town of Mthatha, where a school bus carrying eleven children was swept away after heavy rains caused rising waters to overflow a bridge. While three children managed to survive by clinging to trees for hours, tragically, four children along with two adults lost their lives. As recovery efforts continued on Wednesday, local officials remained hopeful yet anxious as four children from the bus remained missing.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane noted that this disaster marks an unprecedented combination of gravitational rain and snow in the region, exacerbating an already precarious situation. Reports indicate many residents are left without access to water or electricity, further complicating a strained emergency response.
As search and rescue teams continue to navigate the devastation, there are growing fears that the death toll may rise as efforts to locate those unaccounted for extend into more affected areas.
Images from the ongoing rescue operations show the grim realities faced by those on the ground, with workers transporting bodies in the wake of chaotic floods. The scale of the disaster calls for immediate attention and assistance from both local and national authorities to address the needs of the displaced communities in this challenging time.
