At least 49 people, including several schoolchildren, have been killed in floods that swept through South Africa’s Eastern Cape province due to torrential rain and snow.
The provincial premier, Oscar Mabuyane, said the numbers of dead were escalating hour by hour, with rescue efforts continuing to find four more children who were on a bus that was carried away in floodwaters.
The bus, which was found on a riverbank, had 13 people on board, including 11 schoolchildren.
Three children were rescued alive, clinging to trees. Hundreds of residents have been left displaced, with many spending the night in makeshift shelters.
The heavy snow, rains, and gale-force winds have also left nearly 500,000 homes without electricity.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the families of those who died, urging citizens to display caution and cooperation as the worst impacts of winter weather take effect across the country.
