Death toll rises to 90 in Eastern Cape as province declares day of mourning

By Johnathan Paoli

The death toll from the devastating floods that ravaged parts of the Eastern Cape last week has risen to 90, with rescue and recovery operations still ongoing.

The provincial government has declared Thursday a day of mourning, as the scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to grow.

Speaking at a Youth Day event in Cacadu, Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that 60 adults and 30 children were among the victims of the floods, which submerged homes and destroyed critical infrastructure in Mthatha, particularly in Decoligny Village, one of the worst-hit areas.

“Our priority now is to ensure that the people of these communities are accounted for so that we can help families bury their loved ones. After that, the government will speedily work with the people to rebuild and restore their livelihoods,” Mabuyane said.

According to provincial authorities, 83 postmortems have already been completed, with 80