Extreme Floods ravage central Mozambique
Pastor Dale Morgan
Extreme Floods ravage central Mozambique*
06 Jan 2008 15:57:39 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Charles Mangwiro
MAPUTO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Fierce Floods in central Mozambique have
killed six people, driven thousands from their homes and forced others
to seek refuge in trees and on rooftops, a senior official said on Sunday.
The head of Mozambique's national relief agency INGC, Paulo Zucula, said
the flooding caused by torrential rains had cut major transport links to
neighbouring countries.
"So far six people drowned and 5,000 others have been evacuated from
rooftops and trees and a potential 60,000 could be driven away from
their homes in the next few days, three towns ... are under water", he
told Reuters in an interview.
"The government met two days ago and declared the red alert."
The flooding had started on Wednesday, he said. Waters had reached a
depth of six metres (18 feet) and were not expected to subside any time
soon.
Main roads to Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia have been cut in five places.
Trucks carrying goods destined for the landlocked countries have formed
long queues.
Zucula said flooding was posing dangers to some people who refuse to
leave affected areas.
The Pungue and Zambezi rivers are still rising, driven by heavy rains
from Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Floods in central Mozambique killed 45 people and left 285,000 homeless
in early 2007, while cyclone Favio displaced another 140,000 people.
It was the worst flooding to hit the former Portuguese colony since
2000-2001 floods killed 700 people and drove half a million from their
homes.
International aid agencies have expressed deep concern over erratic
weather patterns in southern Africa, which have devastated harvest
prospects for millions of people.
"The waters are six metres high and we are only one metre away from
reaching the 2000/2001 scenario, it's raining heavily now in central
Mozambique and the worst is looming," said Zucula. (Reporting by Charles
Mangwiro; Editing by Giles Elgood)