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Heavy snowfall and torrential rains sweep South Africa, at least 9 dead
2025-06-11 19:52:29 / BOTA
The search continues for missing children after the school bus they were traveling in was flooded by torrential rain.
The death toll from floods caused by torrential rains in eastern South Africa rose to nine on Tuesday as rescue teams searched for children missing after their school bus was swept away by floodwaters, authorities said.
Heavy snowfall and severe storms have hit parts of the Eastern Cape province, while South Africa as a whole has been dealing with extreme winter weather since last week.
In the Or Tambo region, 9 people have died due to torrential rains, according to a new report released by local authorities today, while a previous report said 7 people had died.
Meanwhile, provincial authorities spokeswoman Huselua Radye told AFP she did not know how many children or adults were on the school bus. Local media reported that at least 10 children were missing.
At the same time, three children were rescued after spending many hours climbing trees to escape rising water levels near Mthatha, also in the Eastern Cape, one of the worst-hit areas of the country.
Moreover, since Monday, several hundred people have been displaced, according to the same source, particularly in the Or Tambo and Amatole areas. Some have found temporary shelter in schools and town halls.
Local authorities, with the support of several government agencies, are providing hot meals and basic supplies to those sheltering in temporary shelters, they explained.
"Incessant rains" have also caused landslides and "significant damage to property and infrastructure," they added.
The South African Meteorological Service has predicted that extreme winter weather conditions will continue until at least the middle of the week.
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