By Dylan Bettencourt
- Eastern Cape flood death toll rises to 92, with a teenage girl among the latest victims found.
- The provincial government helps 4,308 people who lost their homes while arranging temporary accommodation and infrastructure repairs.
The death toll from last week’s devastating Eastern Cape floods has risen to 92 after two more bodies were found on Wednesday night.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that one of the victims was a teenage girl whose body was found along the Mthatha River.
Mthatha has been hit hardest by the disaster, with 68 of the total deaths coming from the town alone.
“Progress has been made,” said Mabuyane. “We’ve identified 86 of the bodies, and 83 have already been collected by their families.”
He asked anyone with missing relatives to report them to the nearest police station.
The provincial government is now scrambling to help 4,308 people who lost their homes in the floods. Temporary accommodation is being arranged while the damaged roads and infrastructure are being repaired.
“All three spheres of government are working flat out to help,” said Mabuyane.
Officials are still working to assess the full scale of the damage, but Mabuyane said support has been pouring in “from all corners of the globe”.
The floods swept through the province last week, leaving many communities across the region destroyed. Many families are still searching for missing loved ones.
The province will hold a day of mourning in Mthatha on Thursday to honour the lives lost in the tragedy.
Emergency services continue rescue and recovery operations as communities begin the long process of rebuilding their lives.
Pictured above: The floods in Mthatha.
Image source: File
