Rescue teams deployed in Eastern Cape, flood death toll rises to 57

RESCUE teams were yesterday searching for possible survivors after heavy rain flooded parts of the Eastern Cape earlier in the week as the death toll rose to 57.

- AFP

Torrential rains and freezing temperatures struck on Monday, causing major flooding and landslides that submerged houses. The severe weather also lashed parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Images on local media showed homes completely underwater and rescuers wading through the mud. Power and water supplies have been affected and hundreds have been forced to relocate.

"As the water subsides, more bodies are being discovered," said Caroline Gallant, Eastern Cape manager at the South African Red Cross Society, which has sent assistance to the disaster zone.

More than 3 000 houses have been affected, she told AFP, adding it was "the worst ever disaster" recorded in the area.

President Cyril Ramaphosa called the floods "unprecedented" and said he would visit the disaster-hit region on Friday.