Rescue teams on Saturday recovered more victims of heavy flooding that struck South Africa’s Eastern Cape province earlier in the week, with the death toll rising to at least 86.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the poverty-stricken province on Friday and said the “catastrophic disaster” was due to climate change.
Police minister Senzo Mchunu said on Saturday he had received news of “the overall figure in the province rising to 86”.
President Ramaphosa estimated that floodwaters rose to over four meters (13 feet) following intense rainfall and powerful winds that struck South Africa’s Eastern Cape province.
Thousands of homes, roads, schools, and healthcare facilities were left coated in mud after being completely submerged by the deluge.
The worst-affected area was the city of Mthatha, located approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Johannesburg. The city lies near Qunu, the birthplace of the late Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s iconic anti-apartheid leader and former president.
Rescue teams conducted door-to-door searches for survivors and bodies after floodwaters surged through the area overnight, trapping many residents in their homes.
Some individuals managed to climb onto rooftops, where they endured long hours waiting to be rescued.
Among the dead were at least six children and three adults who were on a school bus that was swept away in the flood.
Three students were rescued after clinging to trees but four were still missing on Saturday.
Snow and heavy rainfall are common during winter in South Africa but coastal parts of the country were affected by “unprecedented” weather conditions, Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
According to the Green Climate Fund, the country is highly vulnerable to the impact of climate variability and change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather.
