As many as 49 people have lost their lives, with many more presumed dead or missing, after heavy rains caused severe flooding in Eastern Cape Province, officials said on Thursday.
The rural region, which stretches from the Indian Ocean into high inland mountains, was battered by heavy rain and snow over the weekend.
Most of South Africa has been affected by intense rainfall and bitterly cold conditions in recent days.
"We have never seen this kind of combination of snow and torrential rains during winter simultaneously," Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane told reporters.
Among the deceased were four children travelling in a mini school bus that was swept away by floodwaters, provincial authorities added.
"Sadly, four of those learners have been confirmed dead, along with the driver and the conductor of the minibus taxi," Mabuyane said.
"Four learners are still missing and are being searched for," he continued, adding that three others had been found alive.
South Africa's national weather service has warned that severe cold weather conditions are expected to continue sweeping across the country in the coming days.
"We are currently engaged in rescue operations. We are trying to recover our people from the situation, whether dead or alive," Mabuyane stated.
"We need more resources," he added. "We have never experienced disasters like this, but now it's inevitable with climate change and global warming."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the situation in a statement, warning that harsh winter conditions "remain life-threatening" and confirming that emergency services, including the National Disaster Management Centre, were "giving the requisite attention to crises as they unfold."
Follow us
