49 declared dead as massive flooding hits South Africa’s Eastern Cape

By Mark Ogagan

Extreme cold front that brought torrential rain and heavy flooding has caused the deaths of at least 49 people  in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, officials confirmed.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said on Wednesday that the death toll, provided by police, is expected to rise as authorities continue to search for the missing.

“As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered,” Mabuyane told reporters at a briefing.

In one tragic incident, authorities reported the deaths of six high school students who were washed away on Tuesday when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river. Four other students were among the missing, Mabuyane said.