Mozambique floods set to worsen

Cahora Bassa dam cannot contain all the water

The Mozambican authorities have renewed appeals to some 80,000 people threatened by flooding to head to higher areas as more rains are forecast.

Under threat in particular are two central towns downstream from the biggest hydro-electric dam in Mozambique, the Cahora Bassa dam.

Dam engineers have doubled the amount of water they are releasing into the river in the past week after heavy rain in Zambia and Zimbabwe left it dangerously full.

Four of the eight flood gates are now open, but officials are warning they may have to open more in the coming days.

The flood gates further upstream at the Kariba dam, which is shared by neighbouring Zimbabwe and Zambia, have already been opened causing huge huge waves of water to roll down the Zambezi.

One report said the floods had now reached the city of Tete.

Camps

An official from the United Nations World Food Programme is flying around the flooded areas of Mozambique to assess aid and relief needs for tens of thousands of people.

More than 13,000 people have already arrived at camps on higher ground near the central town of Caia, where food supplies and tents have been prepared. About 1,000 people per day are arriving on foot or by boat and trucks.

Many still need evacuating

Some small pockets of people are refusing to leave their homes.

At least 41 people have died so far.

But relief efforts are being hampered by a lack of resources, with only one Mozambican army helicopter currently working in the danger area.

"Our major concern is Marromeu and Luabo where there are around 80,000 people," said Silvano Langa, director of the National Institute for Disaster Management.

"If we have 10 helicopters we will be in a position to do a good job of evacuation," Mr Langa said.

South Africa is also planning to send more aircraft and medical personnel to aid the flood relief effort - if the flooding worsens.

The current disaster comes only a year after another set of floods caused widespread devastation.

Neighbouring Malawi is also severely affected, with at least five people having died and over 200,000 believed to be displaced.