Seven Dead as Severe Winter Storm Triggers Deadly Flooding in Eastern South Africa

Severe winter storms have wreaked havoc across eastern South Africa, claiming the lives of seven people and leaving schoolchildren missing after a minibus was swept away by floodwaters, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

In one of the hardest-hit areas near the Eastern Cape city of Mthatha, three children were rescued after enduring hours stranded in trees, desperately seeking refuge from rapidly rising waters.

The provincial government reported that six bodies were recovered in Mthatha itself, located approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Johannesburg. A seventh body was found near a river in the rural Tsolo region.

“The search continues for a minibus carrying schoolchildren that was swept away earlier this morning,” the provincial government said, though it did not disclose the number of passengers onboard.

Disaster management teams have been deployed across the province to support those affected by the intense cold front, which has brought heavy rains and even snow to several regions.

Local media accounts described harrowing scenes of residents trapped on rooftops in bitterly cold conditions early Tuesday. Meanwhile, approximately 200 people sought refuge in a community hall in Butterworth, some 110 kilometers from Mthatha, after their homes in a nearby informal settlement were inundated by floodwaters.

The storm’s impact has cast a shadow over the region’s winter, highlighting ongoing challenges related to extreme weather and vulnerable communities.