Warnings as flood deaths rise

AT LEAST 15 people have died in Mozambique’s northern provinces due to heavy flooding in the area, the UN resident co-ordinator for Mozambique reported yesterday.

“At least 15 deaths reported and 103169 people were affected by the floods in Zambezia, Tete and Niassa provinces,” the report said.

According to the report, more than 17 000 people were displaced from these areas and sheltered in 15 transit centres.

The Mozambique national water resources authorities also warned that another 160000 people would be at risk in the coming days due to the intense tropical cyclone Idai, which is expected to hit the central provinces of the country tomorrow.

The government has a red alert over Idai, which is expected to hit the central region with devastating storms.

As Idai moved inland, flooding would spread through the interior of central Mozambique and into eastern Zimbabwe, said AccuWeather.

The intensive rainfall will worsen the flooding of Tete.

“We appeal to people to abandon hazardous areas,” said district administrator Domingos Viola.

The UN Office of the Resident Co-ordinator first reported heavy rains and flooding on Saturday, saying some districts had recorded 140mm-180mm of rain in 24 hours.

The government convened a Co-ordinating Council of Disaster Management, the highest political level of emergency co-ordination in the country, to analyse the impact of the flooding and discuss solutions for various emergency scenarios caused by the flooding.

Mozambique has a high incidence of flooding, which the country’s National Institute of Meteorology attributes to two factors: tropical cyclones coming from the Indian Ocean to the east, and the fact that Mozambique is downstream from nine major international river systems in Africa that drain through the country on their way to the ocean.

Floods occur every two to three years, according to the institute, and in 2000 the country was hit simultaneously by two cyclones, killing at least 700 people and displacing at least 650 000.

Yesterday, 15 rescuers, including technicians, advanced life-support paramedics and lifeguards, left KwaZulu-Natal with six 4x4 vehicles, boats and jet skis to help the country. |

EPA-EFE A BUDDHIST monk blesses elephants and mahouts with holy water during a ceremony to mark National Elephant Day at a camp in Ayutthaya province, Thailand, yesterday. The day celebrates efforts to save elephants and protect their habitat. As the national animal of Thailand, the Asian elephant is steeped in its culture. Thailand has fewer than 3 000 left in the wild. | NARONG SANGNAK