Eastern Cape floods: Death toll reaches 90

The death toll in the Eastern Cape floods stood at 90 from Monday night.

According to Khunjelwa Rantjie, provincial spokesperson, 60 adults were confirmed dead, while 30 children had also lost their lives.

Some people are still missing.

Water supply in some communities is still limited, and residents are urged to continue using water sparingly, as water will not return to all affected places at once, as the system may take time to fully recover

Khunjelwa Rantjie, provincial spokesperson

“Through the department of health, postmortems have been completed with 80 bodies having been positively identified and 77 bodies released to families. About 2,686 residents were left homeless and are accommodated in various shelters and provided with three meals a day and all the necessities.” 

According to Rantjie, progress has been made in the restoration of basic services in the affected areas. She said water provision was restored at the Amathole District, with the full pumping system still being restored.

“However, water supply in some communities is still limited and residents are urged to continue using water sparingly, as water will not return to all affected places at once, as the system may take time to fully recover.

“In OR Tambo, water has been partially restored in various areas. Water tankers from both municipalities, department of water & sanitation, and the Gift of the Givers continue with the provision of water in affected communities.”

The province plans to hold a Provincial Day of Mourning on Thursday, June 19, in Decoligny Village, Mthatha. This is where most of the devastation happened.

“The province continues to call for residents to report people who went missing around Tuesday, June 10, in the areas that were affected by severe weather conditions, to law enforcement as rescue operations continue,” she said.