South Africa Floods Claim 49 Lives as Bus Tragedy Highlights Scale of Disaster

Reporting by iNewsAfrica Bureau, Cape Town

At least 49 people have died and several others remain missing after devastating floods swept across South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. Among the victims are schoolchildren whose bus was swept away by rising waters. The government has declared a disaster response as communities grapple with loss, displacement, and destruction.

Flooded roads after heavy rains fell on June 10, 2025 in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

• 49 confirmed dead; toll likely to rise

• School bus tragedy kills 8, 4 students still missing

• Over 58 schools and 20 hospitals damaged

• Power outages and infrastructure collapse reported

• President Ramaphosa pledges full support for victims

Eastern Cape, South Africa— Catastrophic floods have claimed the lives of at least 49 people in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, local authorities confirmed on Tuesday, with fears that the death toll could climb as rescue operations continue.

The flooding, triggered by a powerful cold front that brought torrential rains, strong winds, and snow, has devastated communities, flattened homes, and overwhelmed infrastructure. Among the dead are six schoolchildren and two adults who perished when their bus was swept away by floodwaters near the city of Mthatha. Rescue teams are still searching for four students who remain missing, while three others miraculously survived after clinging to trees.

“This is one of the worst weather-related disasters we’ve ever seen,” said Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane. “Entire communities are cut off, schools are destroyed, and families are mourning.”

More than 58 schools and 20 hospitals have reported varying degrees of damage. Hundreds of homes have collapsed, leaving families in need of shelter. Power outages have crippled large areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences and said national disaster management teams had been mobilized. “The loss of life is deeply tragic. We will do everything in our power to support affected communities and rebuild what has been lost.”

This latest flood tragedy underscores the growing vulnerability of South Africa’s infrastructure and communities to climate-related disasters. In 2022, floods in KwaZulu-Natal claimed over 400 lives, and experts warn that extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense.

Relief agencies have called for urgent humanitarian assistance as the country braces for further rainfall. Emergency shelters have been set up, but road access to some remote areas remains cut off.

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