Search and rescue operations in the Eastern Cape continued on Sunday as the official death toll from last week’s devastating floods rose to 88. The increase comes after more bodies were discovered by community members and volunteers.
UPDATE: The death toll from the devastating floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has increased to at least 95 since this article was published. Read the latest on the Mthatha floods death toll.
According to authorities, many of the fatalities were recorded in and around Mthatha, a city hit hard by the severe weather. Families have been searching morgues for loved ones who disappeared during the floods, which struck in the early hours of Tuesday, 10 June 2025.
Eastern Cape floods death toll increases
Ahmed Bham, head of the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers’ search and rescue team, said the police’s airwing helped locate bodies in the Mthatha Dam area.
“We have a multi-disciplinary search and rescue team consisting of the South African Police Service, Department of Health and Gift of the Givers. While hovering and doing our searches, we saw something odd in the water. We sent in our rescue diver and confirmed it was a third body,” Bham told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
He confirmed that two other bodies had already been recovered in the same area. Search teams have also been working along the Mthatha River using rescue boats and trained dogs to look for the missing.
Eastern Cape authorities said more than 38 people had been rescued so far, while efforts to recover others continue. SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said search teams remain on the ground and in the water.
Earlier on Saturday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu updated the death toll from 78 to 86 following a briefing with officers. Two more bodies were recovered on Sunday, bringing the total to 88.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-hit communities in Mthatha on Friday, including the collapsed Efata Bridge, where a taxi carrying schoolchildren was swept away.
At least six learners, the taxi driver, and a conductor died in the incident.
Mthatha Dam does not have sluice gates
An official from the Department of Water and Sanitation said that the Mthatha Dam does not have sluice gates, which are mechanical structures used to control water flow.
Instead, the dam has spillways that release water automatically once the dam reaches full capacity.
This means that no human operator could manually release or stop the water flow that contributed to the flooding.
The lack of sluice gates meant that once the dam filled up due to heavy rain, excess water flowed freely into surrounding areas, contributing to the severity of the disaster.
The winter storm, which hit the Eastern Cape on Monday, 9 June 2025, submerged homes and displaced many residents. Makeshift structures were washed away, and bridges collapsed as rivers burst their banks.
President Ramaphosa has since called for a national day of remembrance to honour those who lost their lives in the disaster.
The search and rescue mission continues.
