Floods and dark winter victims are increasing in South Africa

The severe weather conditions prevailing in South Africa (SA) have put the country's population to a serious test. According to Al Jazeera, heavy rain and extremely cold air currents have caused unprecedented flooding in some areas. At least 57 people have died so far as a result of severe flooding in the Eastern Cape, one of the country's largest provinces.

According to the head of the regional administration, Oscar Mabuyane, the death toll from the natural disaster may rise further. In particular, the search for the missing is still ongoing. As a result, it was reported that six schoolchildren also became victims of the adverse weather conditions.

The worst-hit Eastern Cape municipality was OR Tambo. Among the victims were passengers of a school bus that fell off a bridge into a river. According to new information, several more children have not yet been found and are listed as missing.

Mabuyane said the main cause of the deaths was landslides caused by heavy rain and a thick layer of snow on the roads. As a result of the natural disaster, a number of roads were closed in the southern and eastern regions of the country, transport was disrupted, and power supply was cut off to hundreds of thousands of homes. Mabuyane himself noted that he had never experienced such a severe test before.

The natural disaster also damaged 58 schools and 20 hospitals. Another 500 families were displaced and moved to temporary shelters. People are often left homeless by flooding and strong winds.

Forecasters warned of the danger several days before the onset of severe weather. A cold front that arrived on June 9 caused nighttime temperatures to drop below freezing in some areas. Forecasters say the winter that has begun in the country could be one of the harshest in the past decade.

While the country continues to fight against natural disasters, officials say that the number of victims may rise again, and all forces are mobilized for search and rescue operations. The severe cold weather, the consequences of continuous rain and snow are facing the people of South Africa in trying days.

Photo: Al Jazeera