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.

South Africa has been lashed by heavy rain and snow since the weekend, in a severe winter cold front which disrupted transport and power networks.

The search for schoolchildren swept away by floods in South Africa's Eastern Cape province has resumed after being halted overnight, officials have said. The children were on their way to school in the town of Mthatha when their bus was carried away in flood waters as it was crossing a bridge on Tuesday morning.