Torrential rains and widespread flooding across southern Africa have killed more than 100 people, with Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe among the worst affected, as emergency services warned that further heavy rainfall could worsen the crisis.
Authorities said army helicopters were deployed to rescue people stranded on rooftops and in trees, while hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s largest game reserves amid rising floodwaters.
Mozambique has borne the brunt of the disaster, with flooding across large parts of its central and southern provinces. The country’s Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year.
“The count included deaths from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera,” the institute said.
The World Food Programme said more than two lakh people have been affected in Mozambique, with thousands of homes damaged and tens of thousands facing evacuation, compounding hardship in a country already grappling with limited resources and repeated cyclones.
In neighbouring South Africa, officials said the death toll from flooding in the northern provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga had risen to at least 30, with rescue operations continuing.
Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said 70 people had died since the beginning of the year and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed, with schools, roads and bridges among the infrastructure damaged. Flooding has also been reported in Madagascar, Malawi and Zambia.
The United States’ Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African countries, possibly linked to the La Niña weather phenomenon, which can bring heavier rainfall to parts of southeastern Africa.
In South Africa, the army used helicopters to evacuate residents trapped by floodwaters in Limpopo province. “The Army also had to rescue police officers and border control officers from a checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border,” officials said.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited affected areas on Thursday, said some districts had received about 400 millimetres of rain in less than a week. “There are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth,” he said.
Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said more than 1,000 houses were damaged across the province. “It’s so terrible,” she said.
Extensive damage was also reported in Mpumalanga, including in Nkomazi municipality, where residents began repairs while bracing for more rain after the weather service issued a red-level 10 alert, the highest warning.
“I am still terrified that the rains will return as these were the worst rains I have seen in this area,” said Nkomazi resident Josephina Mashaba.
Flooding has also disrupted operations at South Africa’s Kruger National Park, where around 600 tourists and staff were evacuated to higher ground. “Around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park,” park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.
He said parts of the park were completely cut off after rivers burst their banks, though no deaths or injuries had been reported.
The World Food Programme said more than 70,000 hectares of crops in Mozambique, including rice and maize, had been waterlogged, deepening food insecurity in a region that has faced repeated climate shocks.
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