Officials say death toll expected to rise as authorities launch search operation in the country’s Eastern Cape province.

At least 49 people have died in heavy flooding in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province after an extreme cold front brought torrential rain and blanketed snow in parts of the country, officials said.

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said on Wednesday that the death toll, provided by police, is expected to rise as authorities continue to search for the missing.

“As we speak here, other bodies are being discovered,” Mabuyane told reporters at a briefing.

In one tragic incident, authorities reported the deaths of six high school students who were washed away on Tuesday when their school bus was caught in floodwaters near a river. Four other students were among the missing, Mabuyane said.

Authorities found the school bus earlier Wednesday, but it was empty. Three of the students were rescued on Tuesday when they were found clinging to trees, the provincial government said.

Disaster response teams have been activated in Eastern Cape province and the neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal province after torrential rain hit parts of southern and eastern South Africa over the weekend. Power outages have affected hundreds of thousands of homes, authorities said.

Eastern Cape officials said at least 58 schools and 20 hospitals were damaged by the floods. Approximately 500 people were taken to temporary shelters after their homes were washed away or damaged, they added.

“I have never seen something like this,” Mabuyane said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the affected families in a statement. His office said South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre was now working with local authorities in the Eastern Cape.

Weather forecasters had warned for days prior that an especially strong weather front was heading for the eastern and southern parts of South Africa, bringing damaging rains in some parts and snow in others.