EC govt: Search & rescue ops to prioritise recovering people trapped under collapsed structures
The death toll from the severe weather stands at 49 and emergency services warn that it could rise.
A home in Mthatha was partially destroyed during flooding in the area on 11 June 2025. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
MTHATHA - The Eastern Cape government said that Thursday's search and rescue operations following two days of deadly flooding would prioritise recovering people trapped under rubble from collapsed homes and structures.
The death toll from the severe weather stands at 49 and emergency services warn that it could rise.
A search for four children continues along a river in Decoligny village, west of Mthatha, where a 22-seater scholar transport minibus was swept away by raging torrents on Monday.
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On Wednesday, divers were recovering bodies from the Cicira River almost hourly.
As the hours passed, attention turned to structures along the banks, homes ripped apart by the force of the water, where more bodies were found beneath the debris.
On Thursday, while efforts continue in the water, crews will begin systematic searches through destroyed homes, a shift that could bring more grim discoveries.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane said that the situation was fluid and challenging to track in real time.
"As we're sitting here, bodies are being discovered. It's a bit of a difficult one, fluid. We are sort of chasing a moving target."
Meanwhile, hundreds of families left homeless, many of whom have lost everything, are sheltering in community halls, schools and municipal buildings.