The death toll in floods in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces rose to 57 on Thursday as a top official said rescue attempts had been “paralyzed” by a lack of resources. Rescue teams are still working through debris and floodwater to find missing people after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks in the predawn hours of Tuesday.

Parts of South Africa were lashed by heavy rain and snow since the weekend, in a severe winter cold front that disrupted transport and power networks as well as causing intense flooding. The death toll stood at 49 on Wednesday.