The death toll from floods in South Africa at Eastern Cape province has risen to 49, the head of the province said on Wednesday.
Parts of South Africa have been lashed by heavy rain and snow since the weekend, in a severe winter cold front that has disrupted transport and power networks.
“The status has escalated to 49 (deaths),” Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane told a press conference.
Earlier, a school bus was swept away by floods near Mthatha and a provincial safety official said eight bodies were recovered.
Mabuyane said the report he had received said six people on the bus had been discovered dead and four were still missing. The vehicle had been carrying 13 schoolchildren and two adults.
Flooding has become more common and severe in South Africa as the impacts of climate change are felt.
A storm on the East Coast in April 2022 killed about 400 people and left thousands homeless.
Five people died when a minibus taxi overturned near the coastal city of East London, with the driver saying he had lost control as he was trying to avoid a fallen tree, Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose, told the BBC.
Two people were injured in the accident, he added.
State power utility Eskom said that almost 300,000 homes had been hit by electricity cuts in 14 towns and villages in the Eastern Cape.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport Minister Siboniso Duma said that heavy snow had led to lorries being stuck on roads, causing huge congestion.
Grader machines have been stationed on the worst-affected roads to clear snow before it reached more than 30cm (12in) in depth.
Meteorologist Lehlohonolo Thobela also warned of strong winds and heavy waves at sea, making navigation for ships difficult.
Both the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are along the coast.
South Africa regularly receives snowfall during its winter months, from June through August, with temperatures diving below 0C (32F).
Source: Reuters
