Overview

• Search and rescue operations have entered their fourth day, with officials warning the death toll may rise as floodwaters continue to recede.
• At least 78 people, including six children killed when a school bus was swept away, have died since an extreme weather front brought heavy rain, strong winds and snow early Tuesday.
• The Eastern Cape’s sole rescue helicopter was flown in from over 500 kilometers away as local disaster resources proved insufficient.
• Floodwaters have submerged thousands of homes, roads, schools and health clinics in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, displacing over 3,500 households.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed climate change for the “catastrophic” floods and pledged to step up relief efforts after meeting survivors in Mthatha.