Receding floodwaters that submerged homes days before left the residents of Mthatha, South Africa, helpless. They watched the bodies of their families and

At least 49 people are confirmed dead after flooding hit South Africa, including children whose school bus was swept away during the extreme weather, officials said.

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.