At least 49 people, including several school children, were killed in floods that swept through South Africa’s Eastern Cape province as rain and snow hit parts of the country.
“These numbers are just an escalation in an hour. The situation on the ground is so bad,” said provincial prime minister Oscar Mabuyane.
Among the recovered bodies are four children, a driver and conductor, who were taken away as they crossed a bridge in Mtasha town on Tuesday morning.
Mabuyane said the rescue work continues to discover four children who had been found on the vehicle, who were found on the river bank and there was no one inside.
Earlier, an official told private television station Newzroom Afrika that eight bodies, including bus drivers, were found.
Public broadcaster SABC reported that the three children were rescued alive on Tuesday and found stuck to trees.
It is now well known that there are 13 people on the bus, 11 of whom are school children.
On Wednesday morning, Mr. Mabuyane visited the scene to witness the rescue work and met with the affected community of DeColigny in a village outside Mthatha.
He said hundreds of residents were displaced and many spent the night in temporary shelters.
Mr Mabuyane praised those who are assisting officials in finding the missing persons and reminding neighbors at the beginning of the flood.
Officials say 58 schools in the Eastern Cape are affected in three districts: or Tambo, Amathole and Alfred Nzo.
“I have lived in these years, and I have never seen anything like this before,” Mabuyane said.
In the neighboring province of KwaZulu-Natal, 68 schools in nine districts were damaged, but no deaths were recorded.
Heavy snow, rain and wind power have also lost power to nearly 500,000 homes since Tuesday – state-owned electricity provider Eskom said it is working to restore contact.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mourned those who urged citizens to “be cautious, caring and cooperation, as the winter weather exerts its greatest impact on the nation’s winter season.”
Eastern Cape – the birthplace of anti-apartheid idol Nelson Mandela – with Kwazulu-Natal provinces, the province of Kwazulu-Natal, was the biggest impact.
Bad weather forced some major roads in both provinces to avoid further casualties.
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