Six dead after flash floods in Malawi

Floods hit Malawi’s Nkhotakota district after incessant rains in the region

By Reuters
March 06, 2024
Villagers stand near a flooding street in a township on the outskirts of Blantyre in Malawi. — AFP/File
Villagers stand near a flooding street in a township on the outskirts of Blantyre in Malawi. — AFP/File

BLANTYRE: Flash floods in Malawi’s central region last week left six people dead and has displaced thousands of others, the southern African country’s disaster management agency said on Tuesday.

Floods hit Malawi’s Nkhotakota district after incessant rains in the region, where affected areas are still inaccessible by road due to widespread damage to infrastructure, Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs said in a statement.

The development comes a year after Cyclone Freddy tore through Malawi and neighbouring Mozambique and Madagascar, killing more than 500 people, mostly Malawians.

More than 14,000 people have been affected in the latest bout of floods, the government agency said, adding that those displaced were sheltering in camps.