Rain affects Moz rail traffic

2008-01-28 15:02

Maputo - Railway traffic in the Mozambican northern province of Nampula has been paralysed again in less than a month after rains swept away more than 30 metres of railway sleepers, said reports on Monday.

The daily Noticias said in a report on its online edition that the railway lines, which connected the deepest port on Nacala, had suffered cuts about 65km from the commercial city of Nampula.

Intense rains, which were falling in the province's Rapale district had resulted in vast amounts of soil being washed away.

The consortium, which operated the railway lines - the Northern Development Corridor (CDN) - had suspended operations in order to avoid accidents.

The paralysing of the railway operations were affecting the transportation of fertilisers to neighbouring Malawi and at the same time moving tobacco from that country to foreign markets.

Increase of agricultural products

A rail link disruption earlier in January had resulted in losses of more than $1m.

The current suspension came at a time when there was an increase of agricultural products, which were being transported from Mozambique and neighbouring countries of Malawi and Zambia to foreign markets.

Northern Mozambique was also threatened by cyclone "Fame".

On Sunday, its centre was just off the coast and it was expected to hit flooded river valleys and bring heavy rains to the north and centre.

Since the beginning of the rainy season, at least 18 people had died due to flooding and several homes and fields had been destroyed.

Officials said 92 000 people had been rescued out of the more than 200 000 who were said to be at risk.

Meanwhile, Mozambique's hydroelectric power giant Cahora Bassa reduced the amount of water discharged from the dam as a way of limiting the impact of water on the lower Zambezi valley, said reports.

Radio Mozambique said on its website that authorities had reduced the discharge to 3 700 cubic metres per second at a time when rain continued to fall in the central provinces of Mozambique.

Weather experts predicted the levels of the Zambezi, Pungue and Buzi rivers in central parts of the country would increase due to intense rains.

Meanwhile, authorities at the Massingir dam in southern Mozambique said there was an increase in the amount of water in the dam as a result of increased discharges from South Africa.

- SAPA