At least six high school students have died in South Africa after their school bus was hit by flooding
Officials said the death toll in the Eastern Cape region has risen to 49 after a cold front swept heavy rain and snow into the area
Hundreds of thousands of homes have been hit by power outages as a result
Officials are reporting the deaths of six high school students in South Africa’s Eastern Cape region this week after their school bus was caught in floods in the region.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s office announced the deaths on Tuesday, June 10, adding that four other students are now missing, the Associated Press reported.
Authorities said three additional students were saved the same day after they clung to trees to survive. Officials located the empty bus on Wednesday, June 11.
“As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered,” Mabuyane said in a news conference, per the Associated Press.
Reuters reported that 13 kids and two adults were aboard the bus when it was caught in the floods. According to the BBC, the bodies of the driver and conductor have since been recovered.
The deaths come among dozens of others after a local cold front led to heavy snow and rain in the region.
“The status has escalated to 49 [deaths],” Mabuyane said during a news conference, as reported by Reuters.
Officials said that hundreds of thousands of homes have been hit by power outages caused by the weather, according to the Associated Press.
