At least 31 people have been killed and dozens are missing as tropical cyclone Idai hit eastern parts of Zimbabwe after lashing neighbouring Mozambique, the government said on Saturday. Most of the deaths were in Chimanimani town, Zimbabwe’s information ministry announced on Twitter. Two of the victims were students who died after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory, collapsing the wall of the dining room and trapping 50 of them, the country’s Department of Civil Protection...
FILE IMAGE: In addition to the 24 people killed by Cyclne Idai, the Zimbabwean government said so far over 100 people were missing in the Chimanimani district, and some may have died. At least 31 people have been killed and dozens are missing as tropical cyclone Idai hit eastern parts of Zimbabwe after lashing neighbouring Mozambique, the government said on Saturday.
Most of the deaths were in Chimanimani town, Zimbabwe’s information ministry announced on Twitter. Two of the victims were students who died after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory, collapsing the wall of the dining room and trapping 50 of them, the country’s Department of Civil Protection said in a statement. The boarding school has been shut and the army, which is leading rescue operations, is moving in to take the nearly 200 students to safety.
Others who had fled their homes were stranded on top of a mountain waiting to be rescued, including workers from a diamond mine, as strong winds and poor visibility hampered helicopter flights, the government said. The storm damaged many houses and washed away bridges in the eastern Manicaland province which borders Mozambique. Thousands of people have been affected by power cuts and flooding, a lawmaker told AFP.
Around 100 houses had been swept away in Ngangu township in Chimanimani town, he said. Strong winds ripped roofs off prison cells in the southern city of Masvingo, according to state broadcaster ZBC. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change called for immediate help for the storm-hit east, warning that a “serious humanitarian crisis” was unfolding. “We need state intervention on a massive scale to avoid biblical disaster,” MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume wrote on Twitter.
“My thoughts & prayers are with all those affected by Cyclone Idai. Rescue operations are underway & we are grateful for the bravery of the men & women of the Zimbabwean armed forces who, along with our local & international partners, are participating in the urgent rescue efforts,” he tweeted.
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