Zimbabwe cyclone: At least 24 dead, dozen others missing

 SMTV Desk 2019-03-16 17:05:54  eastern zimbabwe, mozambique, manicaland province,
Zimbabwe cyclone: At least 24 dead, dozen others missing

Harare, Mar 16: At least 100 people are missing in parts of eastern Zimbabwe hit by the incident effects of tropical cyclone Idai which has battered Mozambique, a local lawmaker said Saturday.

Thousands of people have been affected, power cut off and major bridges flooded in parts of the Manicaland province which borders Mozambique.


"The information we have so far is that over 100 people are missing and some of them" may have died, Joshua Sacco, a member of parliament in Chimanimani district, told media.

"At least 25 houses were swept away following a mudslide at Ngangu township in Chimanimani urban. There were people inside. They are part of the missing," he said.

Tropical cyclone Idai battered central Mozambique on Friday killing at least 19 people and cutting off more than half a million in Beira, one of the country's largest cities.

Local officials in Mozambique said that heavy rains earlier in the week, before the cyclone struck, had already claimed another 66 lives, injured scores and displaced 17,000 people.

Heavy rains in neighbouring Malawi this week have affected almost a million people and claimed 56 lives, according to the latest government toll.