Cyclone toll in Mozambique rises to 417, 89k displaced

The toll in tropical cyclone Idai-induced floods that have hit Mozambique rose to 417 while over 1,500 have been injured and more than 89,000 displaced, the government said on Saturday.

The numbers are expected to rise, Minister of Land and Environment and Rural Development Celso Correia said, reported Xinhua.

"There is a very large impact on the affected areas. We have been receiving preliminary data through drones and have recorded 417 deaths and 1,528 injuries," he said.

Around 89,000 people are in shelters, and more are being rescued and evacuated, he added.

Some roads have been reconnected, communication has been re-established, and there is electricity in Beira city, all of which is facilitating the rescue operations.

"The challenge remains to bring support to affected families, but fortunately we have air assets that are helping with surveillance," Correia said, adding that no outbreaks of disease have occurred so far.

According to the Minister, even the highest areas were affected by rainwater, and due to the dispersion of populations it remains difficult to gauge the number of missing persons.

"We are estimating that one million people were directly or indirectly affected," he said.

--IANS

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