Death toll in South African floods rises to 86

JOHANNESBURG - Rescue teams on Saturday recovered more victims of heavy flooding that struck South Africa's Eastern Cape province earlier in the week, with the death toll rising to at least 86.

President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the poverty-stricken province on Friday and said the "catastrophic disaster" was due to climate change.

Police minister Senzo Mchunu said on Saturday he had received news of "the overall figure in the province rising to 86".

Ramaphosa estimated the flood waters had reached more than four metres (13 feet) high after heavy rains and strong winds battered the Eastern Cape.

Thousands of houses, roads, schools and health facilities were left caked in mud after being completely submerged in floodwaters.

The area worst hit by the floods and subsequent landslides was the city of Mthatha, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Johannesburg.

The city is near the village of Qunu, birthplace of Nelson Mandela, the late anti-apartheid hero and former president.

Rescuers went door to door searching for bodies or possible survivors, after people became stuck inside their homes when the water rushed in during the night.

Some managed to escape to their roofs, where they waited long hours for help.

Among the dead were at least six children and three adults who were on a school bus that was swept away in the flood.

Three students were rescued after clinging to trees but four were still missing on Saturday.

Snow and heavy rainfall are common during winter in South Africa but coastal parts of the country were affected by "unprecedented" weather conditions, Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

According to the Green Climate Fund, the country is highly vulnerable to the impact of climate variability and change, which increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather.