At least eight schoolchildren have been confirmed dead after their school bus was swept away by severe flooding in a community in South Africa.
The flooding, triggered by heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt over the weekend, caused widespread property damage and significant disruptions to transport and power networks, leaving many people homeless.
The extreme weather followed a warning from authorities, as several parts of the country experienced strong winds, heavy rainfall, and snowfall over the past 24 hours.
The worst-hit areas included Mthatha, Amathole, and Mnquma. Reports indicate that emergency services began receiving distress calls as early as 4 a.m., with many people rescued, including a school principal who was saved by local residents after his car was swept into a river.
To assist affected communities, the humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers has activated its disaster response unit, describing the situation as “havoc across the Eastern Cape.”
The Amathole District Disaster Management Team, Mnquma Local Municipality, and local community leaders have called for urgent assistance, as the flooding has affected entire communities. In Butterworth and surrounding areas, localized flooding has caused extensive damage, and community halls have been opened to house displaced families.
Eastern Cape Community Safety Official Like Nqatha, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “South Africa has been lashed by heavy rain and snow since the weekend, causing severe winter cold that has disrupted normal activities in several communities.”
“It is indeed a tragic situation, and the search for missing persons is ongoing,” Nqatha added.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the families of the deceased schoolchildren and to the affected communities at large.
