A severe cold front sweeping across South Africa’s eastern and southern provinces has brought heavy rain, floods, and snow, resulting in at least nine deaths and many more missing.
In the Eastern Cape province, search and rescue operations are intensifying after a minibus carrying schoolchildren was swept away by floodwaters. While three children have been rescued, it is still unclear how many others were onboard. Local media report that the minibus has been located, though the search for missing children continues.
The cold front has also caused widespread power outages in the province, leaving many communities in the dark. Eskom, the national power utility, stated that progress is being made in restoring power, with teams working around the clock to reconnect affected areas as quickly as possible.
“At least 136,000 customers have since been brought back online, down from 300,000 that were without electricity yesterday morning.”
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President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the affected families and called on South Africans to unite during this time.
“This is a time where we need to take care of ourselves in our homes and reach out to neighbours and friends who need help of any kind,” he said in a statement.
“We also need to exercise caution on our roads when travelling for work or leisure, or as we get out in nature where we may want to see such sights as snowfalls or flooded rivers.”
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that the cold front will continue to bring disruptive conditions to KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces in the coming days. Authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant as efforts continue to manage the disaster.
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