Flooding in southern Mozambique has claimed the lives of four people, according to the country’s risk management center on Saturday.
According to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD), the deaths happened near the capital, Maputo. 14,000 people were evacuated out of an estimated 30,000 individuals affected by the flood.
“We still have a big number of people to rescue,” INGD director Luisa Meque stated at a press conference.
“We believe that if we had helicopters, we would be better positioned to respond to the crisis,” she explained.
Boane, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Maputo, is the worst-affected region.
Approximately 4,000 dwellings were swamped as a result of the collapse of two bridges and the submergence of multiple streets.
“Our homes are flooded, and we have nowhere to sleep. The rain has ruined our barn, and we are out of food.” Lurdes Simao Dove revealed this after being evacuated from the Boane district.
“People are being pulled by the water, and there are several houses that are entirely flooded,” she explained.
Flooding is expected to worsen if more rain falls over the following few days.
“The forecasts indicate that this rain will continue to fall until Monday,” said Agostinho Vilanculos, the head of the department of water resources. “The situation in the river basins is dire,” he continued.
He expressed concern that the primary north-south roadway connecting Maputo to the rest of the country was in risk of flooding.
Mozambique, which is located downstream of several major river basins and is vulnerable to heavy rainfall and tropical storms, is frequently hit by devastating floods.
