Moz flood kills 2, 100s evacuated

2010-03-08 17:03

Maputo - Mozambique's authorities have reinforced rescue operations in the central province of Sofala, where hundreds of families have been evacuated from areas hit by seasonal floods that have killed at least two people, local media reported on Monday.

Heavy rains have been battering the region for days, causing the Pungue river to burst its banks last week, flooding a stretch of road between central Mozambique and Zimbabwe to the west.

While some trucks continue to ply the flooded 10km stretch of road near the port city of Beira, smaller cars are being ferried across by freight train as the river rises 2.3m above flood alert levels, O Pais newspaper reported.

Two people have been reported killed so far after being swept away by the floodwaters. One was reported to have been eaten by a crocodile.

Annual flooding

A spokesperson for Mozambique's National Disaster Management Institute (INGC) said the agency has sent extra rescue workers and boats to the area to rescue people from swamped islets in the river.

At least 2 000 people living along the river bank have been moved to relocation camps on higher ground, where they are receiving food and medical assistance.

Each year, Mozambique suffers severe floods when the multiple rivers that cross the country en route to the Indian Ocean swell with rain and burst their banks.

The rains have nudged up levels in the Cahora Bassa, a major dam on the mighty Zambezi river, which is also running high. The dam authorities have increased the discharge from the dam to ease pressure on the dam walls.

The worst flooding in recent memory in the vast impoverished country of 20 million people took place in 2000 and 2001, when around 700 people were killed and half a million displaced by floods.

Since then, Mozambique has managed to minimise the loss of life by evacuating people to higher ground at the start of the rains.

- SAPA