MAPUTO (Feb. 9) XINHUA - The Buzi river in the central Mozambican province of Sofala has burst its banks, cutting the road between Buzi town and the port of Beira, Radio Mozambique reported on Wednesday.
The town of Buzi is entirely surrounded by the flood waters and residents interviewed by the radio said this was the worst flood for at least 25 years.
Further upstream, in Chibabava district, the flood swamped the St. Francis of Assisi catholic mission in Mangunde. The water on the mission's premises reached a depth of two metres, submerging a generator and a small flour mill.
Crops were inundated in Chibabava, but there are no reports of loss of life.
Flooding is also under way on the Save river, which marks the boundary between southern and central Mozambique. Radio Mozambique reported that the flood waters completely surrounded the Sofala town of Machanga, near the mouth of the river.
The good news from Sofala is that the break in the main north-south highway in Chibabava district has been repaired. Traffic on this stretch of the road was interrupted for five days when the Muari and Ripembe rivers, which normally pose no threat at all, burst their banks.
Copyright (c) 2000 Comtex Scientific Corporation
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 02/09/2000 12:48:11