Seven people have lost their lives following intense flooding triggered by severe winter weather across eastern South Africa, the government confirmed on Tuesday.
Authorities are also searching for schoolchildren feared missing after a minibus was swept away by the floodwaters.
In a statement, the Eastern Cape provincial government revealed that three children had managed to survive by clinging to trees for several hours to avoid the rapidly rising water near the city of Mthatha, one of the worst-affected locations.
Rescue teams recovered six bodies in Mthatha, situated about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Johannesburg, while another body was discovered near a river in the rural area of Tsolo, according to the official update.
“The search is still ongoing regarding a minibus carrying school children that swept away earlier this morning,” the statement said, although it did not specify how many children were in the vehicle.
The provincial government has dispatched disaster response units to aid communities grappling with the aftermath of the storm, which brought not only torrential rains but also snow to several regions.
According to local news outlets, some Mthatha residents had to seek refuge on rooftops in freezing conditions during the early hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, approximately 200 displaced individuals took shelter in a community hall in Butterworth, about 110 kilometers away, after flooding submerged their homes in an informal settlement, reports noted.
