South Africa mourns 92 victims of deadly floods

South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province on Thursday mourned 92 victims of floods that battered the region last week and displaced thousands.

Thousands of houses, roads, schools, and health facilities were left caked in mud after being submerged. More than 4,300 people were left homeless, according to the government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the “unprecedented” and “catastrophic disaster” was due to climate change.

The Eastern Cape government said 31 of the 92 dead were children and asked people in the province to observe a minute’s silence at 11:00 a.m. (0900 GMT).

All non-essential events in the province have been postponed, it added.

The area worst hit by the floods and subsequent landslides was the city of Mthatha, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Johannesburg.

Work was underway to restore water and power supplies and repair damaged infrastructure, the Eastern Cape government said.