Cyclone causes havoc in Moz

2007-02-22 16:11

Maputo - Cyclone Favio swept ashore in central Mozambique on Thursday with sustained winds of 200km/h, bringing heavy rains and new misery to tens of thousands of people already forced from their homes by flooding.

A second storm, Cyclone Gamede, churned in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar and threatened to make landfall in the same are of central Mozambique before dawn Friday, said officials.

As the cyclone moved ashore on Thursday at Vilankulo south of Beira, Favio destroyed some homes and ripped the roofs off of others.

The government had evacuated many of the people in the area, taking them to higher ground further inland.

Damaging winds

The cyclone hit an area already flooded from the torrential rains that have drenched central Mozambique since January. Forcasters said Favio would bring damaging winds and heavy rain to the provinces of Sofala, Inhambane and Gaza provinces.

The government warned residents to seek shelter and to evacuate houses that could collapse in the storm.

About 30 people were killed in Mozambique and at least 90 000 forced from their homes by the earlier floods. The government said 37 000 people were being housed in tented camps before Favio.

At least 800 Mozambicans died in floods caused by two cyclones in 2000 and 2001.

- SAPA