CNN
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At least 49 people have been confirmed to have been killed after floods struck South Africa. This includes children whose school buses were cleaned during extreme weather, officials said.
A severe, cold front struck parts of South Africa, causing rain and snow, and flooding.
According to state officials, in one of the most intense states, in the Eastern Cape, floods have driven many people out of their homes, causing power outages and road closures.
Earlier on Wednesday, the state broadcaster SABC reported that a school bus was washed away into the river in Decoliny Village on Tuesday morning on the way to school.
The state government said 13 people were on the bus, including students, drivers and his assistants.
“Sadly, four of these learners have been confirmed to have passed away along with drivers and minibus conductors,” Eastern Cape Prime Minister Lubavaro Oscar Mabuyane said at a briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The other four remained missing, adding that rescuers are still searching for more bodies.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said in a previous statement that in a message from the bereaved family three children had been rescued from the vehicle.
South Africa has been tackling floods in recent years, some of which are fatal.
In 2022, floods were fueled in a severe downpour that killed up to 400 people in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal.