At least seven people have died and several others are missing after a powerful winter storm triggered widespread flooding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The severe weather system, which began over the weekend, has brought intense rainfall, freezing temperatures, and heavy snowfall across multiple provinces, with the Eastern Cape bearing the brunt. According to the South African Weather Service, the storm—one of the strongest cold fronts this season—has caused riverbanks to overflow, roads to collapse, and bridges to wash away. Hundreds of residents have been displaced, while thousands remain cut off due to damaged infrastructure. Nearly 500,000 households across the country lost electricity as wind and water damaged power lines.
Rescue efforts are underway for a missing minibus taxi that was swept away by floodwaters in the town of Gqeberha on Tuesday morning. Authorities believe the vehicle was carrying multiple schoolchildren. As of Tuesday night, three students had been rescued alive, but search operations were suspended due to deteriorating conditions and will resume at daybreak.
The South African National Defence Force and provincial disaster management teams have been deployed to assist in rescue operations and deliver aid to affected communities. Forecasters have warned of continued risk of flooding and urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate to higher ground.
Government officials say emergency shelters have been activated and humanitarian support is being mobilized. The full scale of the damage is still being assessed, but local leaders warn that the death toll could rise as search and recovery operations continue.
