Monitoring Desk
MAPUTO: At least four people have died in floods following days of torrential rains in southern Mozambique, the institute for risk management of the country said on Saturday.
The National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) stated the deaths happened near the capital Maputo, while 14,000 people were evacuated out of over 30,000 people who were affected by the flash flooding.
“We still have several people to rescue, but we are using small boats,” INGD director Luisa Meque said at a news conference.
“We think that if we had helicopters in our rescue operation, we would be in a much better position to respond to the flood emergency, but we don’t,” she said.
Flood badly hit the capital area
The worst-hit district is Boane, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of the oceanside capital Maputo.
Around 4,000 houses flooded as two bridges collapsed, and many roads were completely submerged.
“Our homes are full of water; we do not have anywhere to sleep when rain washes away our barn; we have no food,” said Lurdes Simao Dove after being rescued from Boane district.
“People are being dragged with the flood water; there are a lot of houses all are down with the rainwater,” she said.
With more rains forecast for the coming days, the flooding is expected to worsen further.
“The weather forecasts show that this rain spell will continue to fall until Monday, and we think that the situation of the river basins is dangerous,” said the chief of the water resources department chief Agostinho Vilanculos.
He feared that the main highway linking Maputo with the rest of the country in the north was at risk of flood.
Mozambique, which lies downstream of many major river basins, and experiences tropical cyclones and intense rainfall, is regularly hit by devastating flash floods.
