Torrential rains which have fallen for the past week in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have killed at least four people in the provincial capital, Pemba, according to a report by the independent television station, STV. Three people died when a house collapsed in the Pemba neighbourhood of Cariaco, and a child drowned in a stream in the Chiuba neighbourhood, the report said. The mayor of Pemba, Tagir Carimo, who visited the worst hit areas on Thursday, accompanied by the Cabo Delgado provincial governor, Abdul Razak, told reporters that the city was in a disaster situation. He said these are the heaviest rains Pemba has seen for at least 20 years. According to the Beira daily newspaper, Diario de Mocambique, the Municipal Council spent around three million meticais (about US$98,400) on emergency repairs at critical points following the initial storms this rainy season in an attempt to prevent roads from being cut. However, the past week's downpours have swept away that work, and Carimo admitted it had failed. More than 100 houses built of flimsy materials have been destroyed, and the severe erosion has wrecked part of the mains supplying drinking water to the city. The storms have also swept away a bridge over the Messalo River, cutting Pemba off from the northern districts of Cabo Delgado. The province is currently under the influence of Cyclone Hellen, which formed in the Mozambique Channel about three days ago. The cyclone, which started as the storm system that brought such misery to Cabo Delgado, is currently moving away from Mozambique towards the western coast of Madagascar. Cyclones strengthen over water, and so Cyclone Hellen is expected to become a more dangerous storm as it heads for Madagascar, which it was expected to hit on Sunday night. The forecast from the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre is that Hellen will then turn to the south-west, and by Wednesday will be heading back towards Mozambique. It is thus likely that rains will continue in the coastal areas of northern Mozambique for another week.
- RSOE EDIS
