15 December 2007
Maputo — Heavy rains in central Mozambique have cut the district of Buzi, in Sofala province, off from the rest of the country, reports Saturday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
The Buzi river has burst its banks, inundating parts of the Estaquinha administrative post, and forcing people living near the river bank to flee to higher ground. Some crops in this area have been lost, though no figure has yet been put on the damage.
According to the Buzi district administrator, Sergio Moiane, the main road into the district has been cut by the rains at Guaraguara. A secondary road to Buzi is also impassable, and a truck that attempted to use it became buried in the mud.
Mozambican troops are now on the river in two boats, should there be any need to rescue people cut off by rising flood waters.
The central regional water board (ARA-Centro) has warned of continuing heavy rains in the upper Buzi valley. On Friday morning the height of the river at Dombe, in Manica province, was measured at 7.2 metres - well above flood alert level of 5.5 metres.
ARA-Centro has urged people living in the valley to keep away from flood prone areas.
Luis Pacheco, the local delegate of the country's relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), said that food supplies have been pre-positioned in Buzi, and also at Caia and Marromeu, on the lower Zambezi, in the event of flooding in the Zambezi valley too.
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