South Africa floods: Death toll hits 57, many others still missing

Cape Town: The death toll in floods in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces rose to 57 on Thursday as a top official said rescue attempts had been “paralysed” by a lack of resources.

Rescue teams are still working through debris and floodwater to find missing people after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks in the

predawn hours of Tuesday. Floods hit the nearby town of Mthatha and surrounding areas, sweeping away victims along with parts of their houses and cars.

Oscar Mabuyane, the premier of Eastern Cape province, said the floods struck while many people were asleep. The water was 3-4 metres high when it flowed out of a river and into nearby communities, he added.

“It’s a terrible situation,” Mabuyane told state TV broadcaster SABC. “It happened at the wrong time.”

Mabuyane said local authorities struggled to launch an effective rescue effort as the disaster happened in what he described as a region lacking resources.

He said the largely rural Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa, which is home to around 7.2 million people, only has one rescue helicopter.

It came to Mthatha from the city of Gqeberha, more than 500 km away.

He also said the region does not have any specialist rescue divers or K-9 dog units, meaning they had to be called in from elsewhere to help with the search.

“When things like this happen, we are always found wanting,” said Mabuyane. “We are paralysed.”

People were stranded on rooftops and in trees

Rescue teams on Wednesday brought bodies out of the water in blue body bags. Witnesses said many people had taken refuge on the tops of buildings or in trees and some were heard calling for help for hours.

Provincial government officials previously said they believed people were still missing but did not give an exact number.