CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Severe weather conditions have led to tragic outcomes in South Africa, as heavy rain and snow swept through eastern and southern regions, resulting in at least seven fatalities, officials reported on Tuesday.
In the Eastern Cape province, a tragic incident occurred as a bus transporting high school students was carried away by floodwaters. This has left several children unaccounted for, the provincial government stated. Remarkably, three children managed to survive by clinging to trees, and they were subsequently rescued, as revealed by the South African National Taxi Council, which also noted that the bus belonged to one of its members.
Disaster response teams have been mobilized along the province’s south coast to manage the crisis. In the flood-affected city of Mthatha, six individuals lost their lives, with homes and vehicles submerged under the rising waters. Another victim was found near Tsolo, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Mthatha, according to government sources.
Efforts to locate the missing minibus full of schoolchildren are ongoing, with rescue operations in full swing. The taxi council, SANTACO, reported uncertainties regarding the exact number of children on the bus, which was swept off a bridge near Mthatha during the deluge.
“Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing at least three [children] clinging to trees and calling for help,” SANTACO said, noting that the three have since been safely rescued.
Oscar Mabuyane, Premier of Eastern Cape, expressed deep sorrow over the devastation, describing it as “a devastating reminder of nature’s force.”
Additionally, an unrelated incident claimed the lives of five individuals when a minibus taxi overturned, as disclosed by provincial transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose. The crash in the Eastern Cape was reportedly caused by the driver attempting to avoid a fallen tree obstructing the road.
The South African Weather Service has issued warnings of continued inclement weather, predicting further disruptive rain and snowfall in the Eastern Cape and neighboring KwaZulu-Natal province along the east coast. Notably, a major highway linking these provinces was shut down due to the snowy conditions, prompting activation of disaster response teams in KwaZulu-Natal as well.
Although snowfall is rare in South Africa, forewarnings highlighted the impending impact of this intense cold front now materializing across the nation.