National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction believes that around five thousand families have been directly affected by the floods
At least 16 people have died since October due to bad weather in Sofala, in central Mozambique, an official source announced this Friday, noting that two deaths occurred in the last 72 hours due to rain.
“In the last 72 hours, we had, in the province of Sofala, two deaths, of which [a primeira morte de] a two-year-old child, which occurred in the city of Beira, and the other death occurred yesterday [na quinta-feira]in the district of Búzi, in Grudja, of an elderly man, and both died due to drowning. But, throughout the rainy season, so far, we have already had a total of 16 deaths”, Aristides Armando, delegate from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), in Sofala, told the media.
According to the official, the rains recorded in the last few days in that province mainly affected the districts of Dondo, Nhamatanda, Búzi, Chibabava and Gorongosa, causing floods in the Púnguè river basin and the Búzi basin.
“We have the most critical situation in the Búzi basin, where, at the moment, the district’s main town is already under siege”, said the INGD delegate, noting that families are being removed from risk areas and transferred to safe areas.
According to the person responsible, from the data collected until Thursday, it is estimated that a total of five thousand families have been directly affected by the floods, despite an increase in households having been recorded so far.
“In the district of Nhamatanda, mainly in the Moscason area, families are also leaving voluntarily”, he said, noting, however, that so far the province does not yet have an active accommodation center, “but there are signs of the creation of an accommodation center in the district of Búzi”.
Mozambican authorities warned, on Thursday, of the risk of flooding in the center of the country, due to the occurrence of rain.
In a statement, the Regional Water Administration (ARA) of the Center states that the river basins in that region of Mozambique have recorded, in recent days, “heavy to very heavy” rains, leading to a continuous rise in water levels, particularly in the lower Búzi and Upper Punguè regions.
“Taking into account the prevailing hydrological situation and associated with forecasts of continuous occurrence of moderate rains, being locally heavy, for the next 48 hours, a rise in water levels is expected, which could result in localized flooding and, consequently, impacts on access roads, infrastructures and agricultural fields”, a situation that is expected to affect several river basins in the provinces of Sofala, Manica and Quelimane.
In view of the situation, ARA Centro states that it “reiterates its appeal to all public and private entities, local authorities, economic agents and the public to take precautionary measures, removing themselves from areas at risk of flooding and avoiding crossing rivers”.
