Africa-Press – Mozambique. At least nine bodies have been recovered during search operations for missing persons in the January floods in Chibuto district, Gaza province, one of the areas most affected by the floods, it was announced today.
“Up to this moment (…), we are estimating (…) nine deaths, which we have already recovered,” said the administrator of Chibuto district, Cacilda Banze, cited by the media, noting that efforts to rescue other missing persons in the region of Gaza province are ongoing.
According to the administrator, the victims disappeared during the peak of the floods, and in addition to the authorities, families are also searching for the missing, which could increase the death toll in Chibuto.
“[We are] removing bodies; even today [Tuesday] we recovered a body nearby in Muambe. I must stress that we are still identifying bodies; others are located in the bushes and cannot yet be estimated,” added Cacilda Banze.
Mozambique’s National Directorate for Water Resources Management (DNGRH) warned on Monday that around one million people are at risk from the developing Cyclone Gezani, which may reach the Mozambique Channel on 12 February.
The death toll from the January floods in Mozambique rose to 27 on Sunday, with 724,131 people affected, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD), including 147 injured and nine missing. Records also show 3,556 partially destroyed houses, 428 completely destroyed, and 166,895 inundated.
This update also notes that, since 7 January, 227 healthcare units and 299 schools, 14 bridges, and 3,783 kilometres of roads have been affected.
Since the start of the rainy season in October, including the January floods, 201 deaths, 291 injuries, and 852,019 people affected have been recorded, according to INGD data.
Source: Lusa
