JOHANNESBURG — The death count from devastating floods that struck South Africa’s Eastern Cape province two weeks ago has increased to 101, according to officials on Thursday, with the youngest victim being a 12-month-old infant. Two children remain missing amidst the ongoing search efforts.
Triggered by a cold front, the torrential downpours on June 9 and 10 led to widespread flooding that swept away homes and individuals, trapped many in their residences, caused considerable damage to roads and infrastructure, and disrupted electricity supplies.
Zolile Williams, an official from the Eastern Cape provincial government, shared the updated death toll, emphasizing that search operations continue in hopes of locating the missing children. Out of the 101 victims, 94 have been identified, with their bodies returned to grieving families. The deceased includes 38 children, and the floods have rendered more than 4,000 residents homeless throughout the Eastern Cape.
To address the disaster, South Africa declared a state of national emergency last week, enabling the government to allocate funds towards relief operations. Williams highlighted that an estimated $288 million would be required to restore the damaged infrastructure. Given the province’s economic challenges, assistance from the national government is crucial.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the areas worst hit by the disaster two weeks ago and attributed the unprecedented storms and extensive flooding to climate change impacts. Meanwhile, another cold front has impacted South Africa’s Western Cape province this week, resulting in several days of rainfall and subsequent flooding around Cape Town.
South Africa’s exposure to severe weather is heightened by weather systems emerging from the Indian and Southern Oceans. In 2022, a catastrophic weather event claimed over 400 lives in floods battering Durban and neighboring regions after persistent heavy rainfall.