Rescue teams uncover more flood victims as death toll climbs to seventy-eight in storm-battered Eastern Cape communities

What began as a fierce winter storm earlier this week has now turned into a full-scale tragedy for communities in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.

As search and rescue teams continue to dig through the wreckage, the death toll has climbed to at least 78, with more bodies being found every day.

Devastation in the Wake of Relentless Rain

The storm hit hard on Monday, unleashing strong winds and torrential rain on an already struggling part of the country.

The Eastern Cape, mostly rural and underdeveloped, simply couldn’t withstand the pressure.

Rivers burst their banks, swallowing homes and roads, and turning entire neighborhoods into muddy wastelands.

One of the hardest-hit areas is around Mthatha, a city roughly 800km south of Johannesburg.

There, families who had little to begin with are now picking through the mud, desperately searching for belongings—or even loved ones—amid the chaos.

Search Teams Still Finding Victims

By Thursday, the situation had become even more tragic.

Rescue teams recovered more bodies, some of them children, from the ruins of a small one-roomed house.

Locals stood by, silently watching the heartbreaking scene unfold.

AFP reporters on the ground described a landscape scarred by the disaster: homes buried in mud, trees and cars tossed about like toys, and fields littered with debris.

“As the water subsides, more bodies are being discovered,” said Caroline Gallant, Eastern Cape manager for the South African Red Cross Society.

Her team has been offering support in the disaster zone, but the scale of destruction is overwhelming.

The Pain Is Far From Over

Even days later, the floodwaters haven’t fully cleared.

And as they recede, the full extent of the damage—and loss—is becoming more painfully clear.

Emergency services and aid organizations continue working around the clock, but for many residents, the road to recovery will be long and difficult.

What’s Next?

With more bad weather potentially on the horizon and many families still unaccounted for, the focus remains on rescue and recovery efforts.

At the same time, pressure is mounting on local and national authorities to improve infrastructure and offer real support to communities that are often left behind during crises like this.

For now, South Africa mourns—and waits—as the Eastern Cape begins the slow, painful process of rebuilding.