Authorities in the Eastern Cape have recovered the minibus taxi that was carrying ten missing learners in the Mthatha region.
The vehicle was swept into a river in Decoligny on Tuesday following severe flooding caused by heavy rains across the province.
Nine people have since lost their lives in severe flooding in the province.
The provincial government says it’s actively engaging residents of Mthatha to determine the number of learners who are still missing.
Search and rescue operations have continued for the missing learners.
The MEC for Education told the SABC that there were 13 learners, all from Jumba Senior Secondary School, and they were heading to school. “What we know is that on top of the bridge, the driver could see that the water was too much and he called the owner of the bus and told them that they could not cross because the water was overflowing. And as they were standing there, the bridge then collapsed, and that’s how it got swept away with learners inside.”
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The minibus taxi that was swept by the floods carrying learners in De Colligny in the Eastern Cape has been recovered. 3 people were found and 10 are still missing. Fundiswa Mhlekude reports. pic.twitter.com/iovlKilmyl— SABC News (@SABCNews) June 11, 2025
Provincial government spokesperson, Khuselwa Rantjie, says, “We can’t, at this stage, confirm the number of learners that were in the bus. But there have been engagements with the school communities as well as the councilors on the ground to check if there are any families that are reporting missing children. But as I say, divers will be back on-site this morning to search the area.”
