A fierce winter storm has brought widespread tragedy to parts of South Africa, with at least seven people confirmed dead and more feared missing after relentless rain and snowfall swept across the Eastern and Southern provinces, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
In one of the most harrowing incidents, a minibus transporting high school students was swept away by floodwaters in the Eastern Cape province. The vehicle was carried off near a bridge outside Mthatha, sparking a desperate search for the children on board. According to the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), which identified the bus as belonging to one of its members, the exact number of students inside remains unclear.
“Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing at least three (children) clinging to trees and calling for help,” SANTACO reported. “The three have since been rescued.”
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Authorities confirmed six deaths in Mthatha, where torrential rains inundated homes and submerged vehicles. A seventh body was later discovered near Tsolo, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. Emergency crews have been deployed across the province, with the search continuing for any survivors from the bus tragedy.
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“This is a devastating reminder of nature’s force,” said Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, acknowledging the widespread devastation caused by the severe weather system.
The Eastern Cape province was also rocked by another fatal incident on Tuesday when five people lost their lives in a separate minibus crash. Provincial transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose explained that the vehicle overturned after the driver swerved to avoid a tree that had fallen across the road.
Meanwhile, weather alerts remain in effect, with the South African Weather Service predicting continued disruptive snowfall and rainfall in both the Eastern Cape and neighboring KwaZulu-Natal. Part of a major highway linking the two regions has already been shut down due to snow accumulation, prompting additional disaster management responses in KwaZulu-Natal.
Though snowfall is not unprecedented in South Africa, forecasters had issued early warnings about the unusually strong cold front, which has now begun to overwhelm infrastructure and emergency services in affected areas.
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