Overview

• Rescue teams have recovered dozens of bodies and continue searching through debris for four high school students whose minibus was swept into floodwaters, with the toll expected to grow.
• Local officials say at least 127 schools and 20 health facilities were damaged and more than 3,000 homes affected, forcing around 1,000 people into temporary shelters.
• Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa warned that limited resources—including a lone rescue helicopter and no local specialist divers—have hampered early relief efforts.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa has activated the National Disaster Management Center and plans to visit hardest-hit areas on Friday to coordinate additional aid.
• Collapsed roads and bridges have hindered aid efforts across the largely rural province, highlighting long-standing infrastructure deficits that amplify flood risks for low-income communities.