Floods with heavily elevated river levels around the city of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape province occurred suddenly on Tuesday morning. Still over the weekend, rescue teams found deceased in continued searching and on Saturday afternoon, 87 deaths were confirmed.
The water rose by three to four meters during the floods and swept away residents who were surprised by the sudden natural disaster. South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the scene of the accident on Friday, demands that local authorities investigate whether a nearby dam may have caused or contributed to the disaster.
Floods are a recurring problem in the southeastern parts of South Africa. In 2022, over 400 people died according to official confirmations in floods near the city of Durban after heavy rainfall.
