Rescuers in South Africa search for the missing after floods leave at least 49 dead
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Rescue teams began a third day searching for missing people Thursday after floods devastated parts of South Africa's rural Eastern Cape province and left at least 49 dead.
Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise.
The missing included four high school students who were swept away when their bus was caught up in the floods near a river on Tuesday. Six students on the bus were confirmed dead, while three were rescued after clinging onto trees and calling out for help, according to the provincial government.
The floods hit the province early Tuesday after an extreme cold front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow to parts of eastern and southern South Africa. Forecasters had warned about the damaging weather last week.
Eastern Cape provincial government officials said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number. They were working with families to find out who was still unaccounted for, they said.
On Wednesday, rescue teams brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags, while witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the top of buildings or in trees.
The floods centered on the town of Mthatha and its surrounding district, which is around 430 kilometers (267 miles) south of the east coast city of Durban.
Officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged, while hundreds of families were left homeless after their houses were submerged under water or washed away by the floods. Critical infrastructure including roads and bridges has been badly damaged, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said.
He said it was one of the worst weather-related disasters his province had experienced.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he had activated the National Disaster Management Center to help local authorities in the Eastern Cape, while national officials were expected to visit the province on Thursday.
___
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Gerald Imray, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
2 hours ago
- News24
49 die in Mthatha deluge as authorities mull court action over flood-line homes
At least 49 people are confirmed dead amid fears the number could rise in Mthatha, the Eastern Cape. Residents were warned as far back as 2013 to vacate homes built on a dangerous flood line. Floods damaged 20 healthcare facilities and 58 schools across the Eastern Cape this week. Authorities in Mthatha say they will approach the courts if Decoligny village residents once again refuse to move their homes away from a flood line where a pile of dead bodies was discovered after devastating floods. Residents in Mthatha village, the epicentre of the deadly Eastern Cape deluge, were warned to move away from the flood line as early as 2013. On Wednesday evening, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said at least 49 people died in the deluge that engulfed several villages in Mthatha on Tuesday morning. It is feared the number might rise as many residents remain unaccounted for. Two helicopters from the provincial health department and police continued their search for missing people on Wednesday afternoon. King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality Mayor Nyaniso Nelani said numerous campaigns have been held to encourage people to remove their housing structures from the village's river banks. READ | KZN disaster management teams have their hands full as snow, wind, rain grip province 'We will speak with the residents again, and if we are not getting along, we will have to do something as the government. This is a lesson for all. 'We ran several campaigns warning residents to move away from the river. Yes, I know it's private land, but we are responsible for saving people's lives. We are thinking now of approaching the courts for a court order to enforce removals from the flood line,' Nelani added. Resident Mzimkhulu Nondela said residents were warned and told to move their homes away from the river. 'There were floods in 2013, and there was a warning for residents with houses near the river to remove their structures. That did not happen. In 2019, there were also floods; again, people were warned, but that was not heeded,' added Nondela. Resident Nomathemba Sigonyela said they knew the area was flood-prone and posed a danger to housing structures near the river. Sigonyela added Our area is closer to Mthatha for work purposes. We built the houses in that area because we are unable to afford rent in town. Yes, we were warned, but we have nowhere to go. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams said he was concerned about the disregard for municipal warnings 'because once you do that, you run the risk of constructing residential properties in areas that are not suitable'. 'We understand the desperation of community members who want to construct their houses. In my view, that desperation is a rush to the bottom. If the magnitude of the water, as it has been witnessed, was as tall as the houses, it means everyone who is part of the flood line must be removed, of course through consultations,' added Williams. Graphic: Mihle Mdash/News24 Mabuyane, too, emphasised the importance of residents moving away from the flood line. The premier said a disaster declaration would be made in due course. About 20 healthcare facilities and 58 schools were damaged by the floods. 'We are a disaster-prone province. We must get additional resources. A significant part of our population is around the Mthatha area, so it is important that we get more resources for disaster management,' added Mabuyane.
News24
4 hours ago
- News24
‘I've never seen anything like this': Eastern Cape survivor recounts flood nightmare
Carpenter Bathandwa Malipale survived a seven-hour ordeal during deadly floods in Slovo Park, the Eastern Cape. The death toll from the floods has risen to 75, with many still missing. Malipale described seeing cars submerged, people clinging to trees for safety, and his treacherous three-hour trek through flooded roads to reach his sister. For seven hours on Tuesday night, Bathandwa Malipale stayed wide awake, fearing that closing his eyes might mean never waking up, as violent storms tore through Slovo Park village in Mthatha, the Eastern Cape. The 40-year-old carpenter, who said he prayed for his survival, narrowly escaped a flooded home on the property where he was installing cupboards a few metres away. 'I have never seen anything like this before in my 40 years of living,' Malipale told News24. The death toll from the floods that battered the Eastern Cape increased to 75, according to Gift of the Givers, which retrieved eight bodies, adding to the 67 announced by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa in a media briefing on Thursday afternoon. Addressing the media in Mthatha on Thursday, Hlabisa - flanked by his provincial counterpart, Zolile Williams, and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube - said the situation was a 'logistical nightmare' due to the large number of deaths, which was expected to increase as several people were still unaccounted for. What started as an ordinary workday for Malipale on Tuesday quickly turned into a living nightmare. He recounted how, while installing cupboards in an apartment, he watched as the sky turn an ominous shade of grey and rain began to fall. 'I planned to go home, but the sky changed quickly. I could see that it was going to rain, so I decided it was safer to stay over.' But by around 19:00, Malipale said strong winds started lifting the zinc sheeting off the roof of the building he sought refuge in. 'I realised that I could not sleep in these conditions. I could see that things were not going to get [any] better.' He said: Hours went by, and I decided to check what was happening outside because people were screaming. I opened the door and saw water gushing down from the gate, and it came inside the house. Terrified and desperate, Malipale sought shelter in another building on the property. The second building was a few metres from the one he had been in. 'I ran out of the house and tried to get to the other houses in the yard, which were on a higher level than the one I had planned to sleep in,' he said. 'That is where I ended up all night because I didn't want to find myself sleeping when this water entered the house. I could hear people screaming from outside. 'I also couldn't leave the house because I was also scared for my life. The water was flooding the yard.' Soon, the area was plunged into darkness, and cellphone reception was lost. He was stranded and unable to call for help. 'I decided to stay in the other house and wait until things calmed down outside so that I could go out and go get help,' Malipale said. When the rain finally subsided at around 05:00 the following day, he plucked up the courage to go outside. He saw total destruction. 'The bed of the house where I initially planned to sleep was floating, blankets were wet, and utensils were also floating in the water.' READ | 49 die in Mthatha deluge as authorities mull court action over flood-line homes His cellphone battery had died, and, without a way to alert his family, he walked to his sister's workplace in town. What would have been a 30-minute trip turned into a three-hour trek through flooded roads. By this time, Malipale said, his clothes were soaked. 'As I walked, I saw some cars covered by water, and these were at the houses close to the riverbanks. As I got closer, I saw people standing on their roofs, some holding [on to] trees, asking for help. 'I was also not brave enough to help. I was scared I'd get swept away by the water.' He described the anguish of being unable to help, saying: This situation has left me traumatised. A man who was screaming for help as he was hanging onto the tree... I saw him being swept away with the tree he was holding on to. Malipale said he was struggling to come to terms with his ordeal. 'I haven't been able to return to work because I'm scared of what might happen when I'm there. But I still need to go finish the work,' he added.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Flood victims recover in Palo Pinto County, firefighters rescue 10
Joseph Kidwiler can't say what it was, but it woke him up around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The husband and father of three said he was oblivious to flash flooding until it was too late. "I put my foot down off the bed, and I felt water. So I told my wife to get up. It's time to go somewhere," he said. When his family went to their porch, water was everywhere. They had to wait for the Santo Volunteer Firefighters and other departments to respond and help them off the porch, onto a truck, and to safety. "So we slow down. Everyone's got to take a deep breath. The instinct is to rush because we want to go help somebody. But we have to take our time. We don't know what's under the water," Kent Farquhar said. Farquhar is the Deputy Chief for the 14-member department. He's proud of their response to the intense calls. "We came over the railroad tracks and noticed about four feet of rushing water. And when I say rushing water, it was probably moving 10 to 15 miles an hour at the minimum," he said. Tommy's Convenience Store, located at 13850 S FM 4, appeared to be sinking into water. Video from the volunteer fire department showed high water rushing. Farquhar said the water was as high as four feet. The rescues were on Panama Road and East Oak Street. Two vehicles were also involved. Palo Pinto County Office of Emergency Management officials said no disaster declaration had been issued. But tell that to Tommy's, where they are still cleaning up mud, and to Kidwiler, who is being strong for his family. "We lost about 20 chickens and one goat. And we find a neighbor has about 30 cats, and we've been finding cats are dead in the yard and everywhere else," Kidwiler said.
