Flood waters have swept through at least six villages in Malawi's Lower Shire Valley, killing one person and displacing more than a thousand in recent days, officials said Monday.
BLANTYRE, Malawi — Flood waters have swept through at least six villages in Malawi's Lower Shire Valley, killing one person and displacing more than a thousand in recent days, officials said Monday.
The raging torrent washed away a car carrying three agriculture officials as they tried to cross a bridge Saturday in Chikwawa district, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the commercial capital, Blantyre, said police spokesman Norah Mdala.
Two survivors were swept ashore, while the body of their colleague was recovered down river, he said.
Goats, cattle, chicken and pigs were swept away in Nsanje district, about 175 kilometers (100 miles) south of Blantyre. About 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of crops were submerged, homes were knee-deep in water, and more than 1,000 people were displaced, said District Commissioner Toby Solomoni.
Malawi's southern marshes are prone to flooding during seasonal rains which began last month, causing the Shire River and its tributaries to burst their banks. Residents have ignored government pleas to relocate because the region's rich soil is good for agriculture, while nearby upland areas are rocky.
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The flooding threatens to deepen acute food shortages brought on by four years of erratic rains and a devastating AIDS epidemic that is destroying the agricultural work force.
At least 10 million people in six southern African countries are in urgent need of food help, according to U.N. figures.
In Malawi, where persistent dry spells at the height of the last planting season cut production of the maize staple by 24 percent, up to 5 million people are threatened with hunger. Nsanje is at the center of the affected region.
Source: Associated Press
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