Floods kill more than 100 across southern Africa as rains intensify

Torrential rains person devastated communities from Mozambique to South Africa, displacing hundreds of thousands.

Torrential rains person killed much than 100 radical crossed Southern Africa, forcing wide evacuations and rescue operations arsenic authorities pass that much destructive upwind whitethorn inactive beryllium to come.

Weeks of dense rainfall person battered South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, overwhelming rivers and infrastructure and leaving full communities chopped off. Weather services crossed the portion person issued further alerts, raising fears of further flooding.

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In South Africa, officials said connected Friday that flooding successful the bluish provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga had killed astatine slightest 30 people.

Army helicopters person been deployed to rescue residents trapped connected rooftops and successful trees arsenic swollen rivers swept done towns and villages. Security unit were besides evacuated from a borderline checkpoint with Zimbabwe aft floodwaters surrounded the area.

President Cyril Ramaphosa toured affected parts of Limpopo connected Thursday, saying the state had received astir 400mm (16 inches) of rainfall successful little than a week. In 1 district, helium said, “there are 36 houses that person conscionable been wiped distant from the look of the earth.”

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said much than 1,000 homes had been damaged crossed the province. “It’s truthful terrible,” she said.

Hundreds of thousands displaced

In neighbouring Zimbabwe, the government’s catastrophe absorption bureau reported astatine slightest 70 deaths since the commencement of the year, with much than 1,000 homes destroyed, and schools, roads and bridges collapsing nether the unit of the floods.

Mozambique has been the hardest hit. Its catastrophe absorption authorities said 103 radical had died during an unusually terrible rainy play since precocious past year. The fig includes deaths caused by flooding, lightning strikes, infrastructure illness and a cholera outbreak linked to contaminated h2o supplies.

More than 200,000 radical person been affected nationwide, with thousands of homes damaged and tens of thousands facing evacuation, according to the World Food Programme. The bureau warned that flooding has submerged much than 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of crops, deepening nutrient shortages for small-scale farmers successful a state already struggling with poorness and repeated cyclones.

Residents beryllium connected a Mozambique subject motortruck transporting them crossed floodwater successful the Boane territory [Amilton Neves/AFP]

The United States Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported oregon expected successful astatine slightest 7 Southern African countries, perchance linked to the La Nina phenomenon, which often brings heavier rainfall to the region.

South Africa’s Kruger National Park has besides been hit, with astir 600 tourists and unit evacuated from flood-affected camps. Park authorities said nary deaths oregon injuries had been reported, but ample areas stay inaccessible aft rivers burst their banks.

Southern Africa has endured a bid of utmost upwind events successful caller years, from deadly cyclones to terrible droughts, exposing the region’s vulnerability to climate-driven disasters and fragile infrastructure.