CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The death toll in floods in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces rose to at least 78 on Thursday as a top official said rescue attempts in the first hours after the disaster had been “paralyzed” by a lack of resources.

The number of people who have died in floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has risen to 57 and includes several school children, who drowned when the minibus taxi they were traveling in was swamped.

At least 57 people were confirmed dead Wednesday as floods devastated one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. Officials said the toll was expected to rise as more bodies are recovered in the search for missing people.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the sites Friday of devastating floods that have left at least 78 people dead in the southeast of the country as search and rescue operations continue for a fourth day and authorities say they expect the death toll to rise.

As South Africa grapples with the aftermath of devastating floods that have claimed 67 lives, Dr Mary-Jane Bopape and her team unveil a pivotal analysis of weather-related disasters from 1980 to 2023.

Among the dead were four children travelling in a school minibus. Authorities said they are still trying to determine the number of people missing. Hundreds of displaced families are currently taking