Survivors of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyclone-idai-claims-417-lives-in-mozambique-over-700-killed-in-southern-africa-205206">powerful cyclone that pummelled southern Africa</a> were to begin receiving emergency medicine, food and tents on Tuesday as floodwaters receded, while the Red Cross warned of "a ticking bomb" of disease in the storm-struck region.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique's coast, unleashing hurricane-force wind and rain that flooded swathes of the poor country before battering eastern Zimbabwe -- killing more than 700 people across the two nations.

The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Elhadj As Sy said Monday "we are sitting on a ticking bomb" as he called for renewed efforts to address the worsening health situation.

As logistical conditions improved and roads to affected communities have been reconnected, the full scale of the humanitarian crisis has been revealed for the first time since the disaster hit on March 15.

More than two million people have been affected in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi where the storm started as a tropical depression causing deadly flooding which displaced nearly a million people.

Hundreds are still missing in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

"The conditions for rescue are improving. Yesterday a road reopened which was really important to allow officials to work and rescue," Mozambique's Land Minister Celso Correa told reporters on Monday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Sebastian Rhodes Stampa also said Monday that 30 aid missions were flying in while others were going by road "so we can really deliver volume".

"We are packing food and shelter now -- they will go out (Tuesday) both north and south," he said.

In New York, UN aid chief Mark Lowcock launched an appeal to provide Mozambique with $282 million to help with relief efforts over the next three months.

Lowcock told reporters that similar campaigns would be instigated in the coming days for Zimbabwe and Malawi.

'Children looking for their parents'&nbsp; 
Buzi, one of Mozambique's worst-hit towns located 30 kilometres southwest of the city of Beira, became reachable by road on Monday -- for the first time since the storm hit.

"It will now be much faster to deliver aid," Stampa added.

In Buzi, survivor Joao Zacaria said that "one man who had 40 cows lost them all. Forty, can you imagine!"&nbsp;

IFRC head Sy, who had just returned from the region, warned of a "high risk of water-borne diseases" like cholera and typhus -- as well as malaria, which is endemic in the region.

A procession of mourners carried the coffin containing the body of Tomas Joaquim Chimukme, who was killed by the cyclone, through saturated marshland outside Beira.

Many of those attending wore open sandals in the water which was ankle-high.

The UN has warned that stagnant water in many areas, decomposing bodies and the lack of sanitation in overcrowded shelters in Mozambique could create breeding grounds for such diseases.

The government has already identified some suspected but unconfirmed cases of cholera, Sy said.

"That is the reason why I am raising the alarm. Many of these water-borne diseases are a great risk, but they are preventable," he added.

"The worst thing is the children crying and looking for their parents... It is heartbreaking," he said, adding that it remained unclear how many children may have been orphaned.

Medical services in the affected region were stretched even before the cyclone hit and according to aid group MSF, Beira hospital's operating theatre sustained serious damage. As many as 17 health centres have lost their roofs, it added in a statement.

The South African military has deployed several aircraft to the affected area and an EU-funded World Food Programme chopper is supporting rescue and recovery efforts.

Survivors of a powerful cyclone that pummelled southern Africa were to begin receiving emergency medicine, food and tents on Tuesday as floodwaters receded, while the Red Cross warned of "a ticking bomb" of disease in the storm-struck region.

Survivors of a powerful cyclone that pummelled southern Africa were to begin receiving emergency medicine, food and tents on Tuesday as floodwaters receded, while the Red Cross warned of "a ticking bomb" of disease in the storm-struck region. Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique's coast, unleashing hurricane-force wind and rain that flooded swathes of the poor country before battering eastern Zimbabwe -- killing more than 700 people across the two nations. The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Elhadj As Sy said Monday "we are sitting on a ticking bomb" as he called for renewed efforts to address the worsening health situation. As logistical conditions improved and roads to affected communities have been reconnected, the full scale of the humanitarian crisis has been revealed for the first time since the disaster hit on March 15. More than two million people have been affected in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi where the storm started as a tropical depression causing deadly flooding which displaced nearly a million people. Hundreds are still missing in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. "The conditions for rescue are improving. Yesterday a road reopened which was really important to allow officials to work and rescue," Mozambique's Land Minister Celso Correa told reporters on Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Sebastian Rhodes Stampa also said Monday that 30 aid missions were flying in while others were going by road "so we can really deliver volume". "We are packing food and shelter now -- they will go out (Tuesday) both north and south," he said. In New York, UN aid chief Mark Lowcock launched an appeal to provide Mozambique with $282 million to help with relief efforts over the next three months. Lowcock told reporters that similar campaigns would be instigated in the coming days for Zimbabwe and Malawi. 'Children looking for their parents' Buzi, one of Mozambique's worst-hit towns located 30 kilometres southwest of the city of Beira, became reachable by road on Monday -- for the first time since the storm hit. "It will now be much faster to deliver aid," Stampa added. In Buzi, survivor Joao Zacaria said that "one man who had 40 cows lost them all. Forty, can you imagine!" IFRC head Sy, who had just returned from the region, warned of a "high risk of water-borne diseases" like cholera and typhus -- as well as malaria, which is endemic in the region. A procession of mourners carried the coffin containing the body of Tomas Joaquim Chimukme, who was killed by the cyclone, through saturated marshland outside Beira. Many of those attending wore open sandals in the water which was ankle-high. The UN has warned that stagnant water in many areas, decomposing bodies and the lack of sanitation in overcrowded shelters in Mozambique could create breeding grounds for such diseases. The government has already identified some suspected but unconfirmed cases of cholera, Sy said. "That is the reason why I am raising the alarm. Many of these water-borne diseases are a great risk, but they are preventable," he added. "The worst thing is the children crying and looking for their parents... It is heartbreaking," he said, adding that it remained unclear how many children may have been orphaned. Medical services in the affected region were stretched even before the cyclone hit and according to aid group MSF, Beira hospital's operating theatre sustained serious damage. As many as 17 health centres have lost their roofs, it added in a statement. The South African military has deployed several aircraft to the affected area and an EU-funded World Food Programme chopper is supporting rescue and recovery efforts.

Mozambique cyclone survivors face 'ticking bomb' of disease

&nbsp;About 1.85 million people have now been affected by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyclone-idai-claims-417-lives-in-mozambique-over-700-killed-in-southern-africa-205206">Cyclone Idai and its aftermath</a> in Mozambique alone, UN&nbsp;humanitarian agency OCHA said on Tuesday, as aid workers raced to fathom the scale of the disaster and determine what help is most urgently needed.

"Some will be in critical, life-threatening situations. Some will sadly have lost their livelihoods, which whilst an appalling tragedy is not immediately life threatening,"&nbsp;OCHA coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa said.

Idai flattened homes and provoked widespread flooding when it made <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyclone-idai-one-of-africas-worst-disasters-united-nations-204611">landfall near the Mozambique port</a> city of Beira on March 14. It then ripped through neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi.

At least 686 people have been killed by the storm and its aftermath across the three countries, a figure that could rise as relief workers prepare for what they say are inevitable outbreaks of diseases including malaria and cholera.

Mozambique remains the hardest hit by the humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands of homes destroyed and hundreds of thousands displaced across an area of some 3,000 square km - roughly the size of Luxembourg.

"We can determine the size, we can't determine the circumstance. So we're now going out on the ground, dropping people off from helicopters to determine what the critical needs are," Stampa said.

About 1.85 million people have now been affected by Cyclone Idai and its aftermath in Mozambique alone, UN humanitarian agency OCHA said on Tuesday, as aid workers raced to fathom the scale of the disaster and determine what help is most urgently needed.

About 1.85 million people have now been affected by Cyclone Idai and its aftermath in Mozambique alone, UN humanitarian agency OCHA said on Tuesday, as aid workers raced to fathom the scale of the disaster and determine what help is most urgently needed. "Some will be in critical, life-threatening situations. Some will sadly have lost their livelihoods, which whilst an appalling tragedy is not immediately life threatening," OCHA coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa said. Idai flattened homes and provoked widespread flooding when it made landfall near the Mozambique port city of Beira on March 14. It then ripped through neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi. At least 686 people have been killed by the storm and its aftermath across the three countries, a figure that could rise as relief workers prepare for what they say are inevitable outbreaks of diseases including malaria and cholera. Mozambique remains the hardest hit by the humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands of homes destroyed and hundreds of thousands displaced across an area of some 3,000 square km - roughly the size of Luxembourg. "We can determine the size, we can't determine the circumstance. So we're now going out on the ground, dropping people off from helicopters to determine what the critical needs are," Stampa said.

1.85 million people affected by Cyclone Idai: UN agency

Mozambique prepares for Cholera after deadly cyclone

Mozambique death toll rises after cyclone; Rescue operations still underway

To speed up humanitarian operations, India will send another ship, INS Magar, loaded with relief materials to Mozambique, one of the three countries along with Zimbabwe and Malawi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cyclone-idai-claims-417-lives-in-mozambique-over-700-killed-in-southern-africa-205206">severely affected by Cyclone Idai</a>, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

"In response to a request from the Republic of Mozambique, the Government of India immediately diverted three Indian naval ships to the port city of Beira. Over the last several days, the three Indian ships, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul are undertaking HADR (Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief) in coordination with local authorities and the High Commission of India, Maputo," a press statement issued on Saturday from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read.

"In view of the evolving crisis, India is continuing with its efforts to help the people of Mozambique. To sustain HADR operations, another ship INS MAGAR, suitably loaded with relief materials is being sent to Mozambique".&nbsp;

The HADR brick loaded on board contains medicines, dry provisions, ready-to-eat meals, daily essentials, and clothing items," adds the statement.

"This would cater for approximately 1,000 persons for seven days. In addition, 500 kg of epidemic-related medicines and 400 tonnes of rice has also been loaded on the ship. The ship is expected to sail in the next 2-3 days," added the ministry.

The Indian naval crew rescued more than 192 people affected in the cyclone. Medical assistance has been provided to 1,381 persons in medical camps set up by the Indian Navy.

"As of now, Indian naval crew has IN Helicopter Chetak took several sorties to facilitate aerial survey by disaster management officials of Mozambique, for evacuation of people in coordination with local authorities and for dropping food and water packets in cyclone-affected areas," the press release said.

"Indian Navy ships have also been providing fresh water in relief camps, undertaking community service including clearing of debris and repairing damaged roads etc. Food supplies have also been provided to about 700 persons working in the port area," it added.

The Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai that hit Mozambique on 15 March 2019. Assistance is also being sent to Zimbabwe and Malawi, two other countries hit by the cyclone.

More than 400 people have died in the affected nations until now, according to officials. The figure is set to rise as bodies are being discovered as floodwaters recede.

To speed up humanitarian operations, India will send another ship, INS Magar, loaded with relief materials to Mozambique, one of the three countries along with Zimbabwe and Malawi severely affected by Cyclone Idai, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

To speed up humanitarian operations, India will send another ship, INS Magar, loaded with relief materials to Mozambique, one of the three countries along with Zimbabwe and Malawi severely affected by Cyclone Idai, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced. "In response to a request from the Republic of Mozambique, the Government of India immediately diverted three Indian naval ships to the port city of Beira. Over the last several days, the three Indian ships, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul are undertaking HADR (Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief) in coordination with local authorities and the High Commission of India, Maputo," a press statement issued on Saturday from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read. "In view of the evolving crisis, India is continuing with its efforts to help the people of Mozambique. To sustain HADR operations, another ship INS MAGAR, suitably loaded with relief materials is being sent to Mozambique". The HADR brick loaded on board contains medicines, dry provisions, ready-to-eat meals, daily essentials, and clothing items," adds the statement. "This would cater for approximately 1,000 persons for seven days. In addition, 500 kg of epidemic-related medicines and 400 tonnes of rice has also been loaded on the ship. The ship is expected to sail in the next 2-3 days," added the ministry. The Indian naval crew rescued more than 192 people affected in the cyclone. Medical assistance has been provided to 1,381 persons in medical camps set up by the Indian Navy. "As of now, Indian naval crew has IN Helicopter Chetak took several sorties to facilitate aerial survey by disaster management officials of Mozambique, for evacuation of people in coordination with local authorities and for dropping food and water packets in cyclone-affected areas," the press release said. "Indian Navy ships have also been providing fresh water in relief camps, undertaking community service including clearing of debris and repairing damaged roads etc. Food supplies have also been provided to about 700 persons working in the port area," it added. The Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai that hit Mozambique on 15 March 2019. Assistance is also being sent to Zimbabwe and Malawi, two other countries hit by the cyclone. More than 400 people have died in the affected nations until now, according to officials. The figure is set to rise as bodies are being discovered as floodwaters recede.

India to send another ship to cyclone-hit Mozambique to speed up humanitarian operations

Thousands displaced, acres of lands destroyed as Cyclone Idai wreaks havoc in Southern Africa

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-cyclone-death-toll-jumps-to-more-than-400-205056">Mozambique's death toll</a> rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said.

"The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations.

The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help.

"All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira.

At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope."

Destroyed houses

"When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died.

"Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home."

The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety.

The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again.

"We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said UN&nbsp;Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa.

Some cholera cases have been reported.

Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses.

At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees. Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes. Mozambique's death toll rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said. "The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations. The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone. In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help. "All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira. At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope." Destroyed houses "When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died. "Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home." The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety. The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again. "We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa. Some cholera cases have been reported. Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses. At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Cyclone Idai claims 417 lives in Mozambique, over 700 killed in Southern Africa

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees.

Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mozambique-cyclone-death-toll-jumps-to-more-than-400-205056">Mozambique's death toll</a> rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said.

"The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations.

The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help.

"All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira.

At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope."

DESTROYED HOUSES

"When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died.

"Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home."

The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety.

The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again.

"We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa.

Some cholera cases have been reported.

Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses.

At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Mozambique reported scores more deaths on Saturday from a cyclone and floods around southern Africa that have killed at least 732 people and left thousands in desperate need of help, many on rooftops and trees. Cyclone Idai lashed the Mozambican port city of Beira with winds of up to 170 km per hour last week, then moved inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi, swamping populations and devastating homes. Mozambique's death toll rose to 417 from 242, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said. "The situation is getting better, still critical, but it's getting better," he told reporters at the airport in Beira that has become a centre for aid operations. The storm has also killed 259 in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone. In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies rush in help. "All our food got wet, we didn't know where to go with the children. We don't have anything," said Mimi Manuel, a 26-year-old mother of four who lost her home and was sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter in a primary school in Beira. At the refuge, families cooked with wood from trees ripped up by the storm, as toddlers played around battered school desks. Manuel wore a necklace with the word "Hope." DESTROYED HOUSES "When it all started, people started screaming," another survivor Dina Fiegado, 18, said, describing how sheet rooves blew off and rough walls collapsed in the sea-edge community of Praia Nova, where residents said about 50 people died. "Some people tried to escape, some people tried to stay at home." The Mozambican minister said some 1,500 people were in need of immediate rescue from rooftops and trees. Helicopters and boats have been carrying people to safety. The United Nations' humanitarian office warned that more flooding may come as heavy rains inland poured into the low-lying Beira area and nearby dams filled up threatening to burst the Buzi and Pungwe rivers again. "We're going to have to wait until the flood waters recede until we know the full expanse of the toll on the people of Mozambique," said U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinator Sebastian Rhodes Stampa. Some cholera cases have been reported. Left with nothing, many survivors were fretting for their future, while others mourned losses. At Beira's central morgue, 56-year old Mika Masseera, grieved for his severely weakened mother, Sumbo Mufucho, 73, who died in hospital following a rescue after she had clung to a tree for two days surrounded by floodwaters.

Cyclone Idai: Death toll rises to over 700 in Mozambique

Cyclone claims more than 400 lives in Mozambique

India has sent another Indian Navy ship INS MAGAR as part of its operation "Sahayata 2019" to help the people of Mozambique who are reeling under the impact of cyclone IDAI, the category 4 cyclone to hit southern Africa on 15th March.

The ship contains medicines, dry provisions, ready-to-eat meals, daily essentials &amp; clothing items and would cater to approximately 1000 persons for 7 days. The essential items include 500 kg of epidemic-related medicines &amp; 400 tonnes of rice.

In the aftermath of the cyclone, New Delhi had sent 3 Indian naval ships to the country — INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul which are currently undertaking Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief operations in coordination with local authorities &amp; Indian High Commission.&nbsp;

The 3 Indian Navy ships so far have been able to rescue 192 people &amp; provide medical assistance to 1381 persons in medical camps.

Meanwhile, Indian helicopters are helping in the evacuation of people by facilitating aerial survey and are also dropping of food &amp; water packets in areas inaccessible to reach on foot.

The Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of Cyclone IDAI. Assistance is also being sent to neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi which were hit by the cyclone.

India has sent another Indian Navy ship INS MAGAR as part of its operation "Sahayata 2019" to help the people of Mozambique who are reeling under the impact of cyclone IDAI, the category 4 cyclone to hit southern Africa on 15th March.

India has sent another Indian Navy ship INS MAGAR as part of its operation "Sahayata 2019" to help the people of Mozambique who are reeling under the impact of cyclone IDAI, the category 4 cyclone to hit southern Africa on 15th March. The ship contains medicines, dry provisions, ready-to-eat meals, daily essentials & clothing items and would cater to approximately 1000 persons for 7 days. The essential items include 500 kg of epidemic-related medicines & 400 tonnes of rice. In the aftermath of the cyclone, New Delhi had sent 3 Indian naval ships to the country — INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul which are currently undertaking Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief operations in coordination with local authorities & Indian High Commission. The 3 Indian Navy ships so far have been able to rescue 192 people & provide medical assistance to 1381 persons in medical camps. Meanwhile, Indian helicopters are helping in the evacuation of people by facilitating aerial survey and are also dropping of food & water packets in areas inaccessible to reach on foot. The Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of Cyclone IDAI. Assistance is also being sent to neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi which were hit by the cyclone.

India ups its aid for cyclone-ravaged Mozambique

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-toll-at-294-in-mozambique-after-cyclone-idai-204760">across central Mozambique</a>, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms.

A week after Tropical Cyclone Idai lashed Mozambique with winds of nearly 200 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, rescue efforts rose a gear but the situation was often chaotic.

Humanitarian agencies are racing to rescue those still trapped, feed those who have been brought to safety and protect them from potential outbreaks of malaria and cholera.

"Already, some cholera cases have been reported in (the port city of) Beira along with an increasing number of malaria infections among people trapped by the flooding," said the International Federation of Red Cross in a statement.

The mayor of Diaz Simango told AFP that cases of diarrhoeal infections had already been reported.

"We are running out of time, it is at a critical point here," UN children's agency chief Henrietta Fore told AFP after she flew into the devastated port city of Beira from New York.

Hygiene and safe drinking water are absolute priorities, she warned.

"There's stagnant water, it's not draining, decomposing bodies, lack of good hygiene and sanitation," Fore said. "We are worried about cholera, about malaria, because of the stagnant water."

World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Gerald Bourke said the aid effort was "slow to start, (but)... is now accelerating, thankfully."

WFP declared the flood crisis a level three emergency, putting it on a par with Yemen, Syria and South Sudan.

Relief agencies said the gravity of the cyclone and scale of the flooding it unleashed had been extremely shocking.

The confirmed death toll in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe topped 550 on Friday, with 293 killed in Mozambique, and 259 in Zimbabwe, according to the UN Migration agency IOM, which said more than 120 of the dead in Zimbabwe had been washed into Mozambique.

Around 1.7 million people have been affected and hundreds are still missing.

Districts west of Beira resemble an inland lake, and thousands of people are still trapped on roof tops and on tree branches.&nbsp;

The town of Buzi situated across the estuary southwest of Beira "has reportedly disappeared, with the water as high as the palm trees" and 40 prisoners and staff still trapped on a roof, said the International Committee of the Red (ICRC).&nbsp;

"This disaster is a catastrophe," Prime Minister Carlos Antonio do Rosario told reporters in Beira. The government says there are still around 15,000 people still needing to be saved.

Anger

More than 65,000 people are already in shelters in central Mozambique and other sites are being opened.

In Dondo, near Beira, food distribution finally started on Thursday at one of 20 schools transformed into emergency shelters.&nbsp;

"Today is the first day we receive help," said survivor Marta Antonio. &nbsp;

"But they don't give it to everyone, they only give it to those who are in the rooms. But those outside receive nothing," she said.

Victims who were not housed in the centres were frustrated.

They complained that they had been forgotten and for those lining up for something to eat, the food was insufficient.

"I have four children, and they're only going to eat bread? Give me a bag of aid," demanded one man, who did not give his name.

In Beira's Samora Machel Secondary School, where President Filipe Nyusi was educated, more than 1,000 people found shelter, where many slept on the floor of an indoor basketball court.

"Everything is difficult here. I'm fighting for my children to have something to eat," said Celeste Dambo, who said that by lunchtime she had not yet eaten anything since the previous night.

On Wednesday, crowds of people looted a warehouse, taking away sacks of rice marked "China Aid."

"People have suffered for weeks here, and they are understandably worried. This is a very difficult situation, on a massive scale, the response is building, you’re going to have hiccups, (but) a lot more people are weighing in," said Bourke.

The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance.

'Cholera and malaria'&nbsp;

Meantime the main morgue in Beira is teeming with bodies and burials are impossible because the city cemeteries are flooded, said the ICRC.

"The mortuary at the city’s main hospital is full and there are dozens of bodies that need to be removed and cared for in a dignified way," said ICRC in a statement.

"The humanitarian needs will tragically only deepen in the coming weeks," it added.&nbsp;

The mayor of Beira Daviz Simango has been helping clean up the city, driving excavator. "We are starting from zero, we have started the work," he told AFP adding "our people have suffered a lot". &nbsp;

Meanwhile, the ICRC has set up a dedicated website where missing people can be registered.&nbsp;

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out across central Mozambique, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms.

Aid workers faced disarray, a clamour for help and mounting anger Friday as they headed out across central Mozambique, struggling to help tens of thousands of people battered by one of southern Africa's most powerful storms. A week after Tropical Cyclone Idai lashed Mozambique with winds of nearly 200 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, rescue efforts rose a gear but the situation was often chaotic. Humanitarian agencies are racing to rescue those still trapped, feed those who have been brought to safety and protect them from potential outbreaks of malaria and cholera. "Already, some cholera cases have been reported in (the port city of) Beira along with an increasing number of malaria infections among people trapped by the flooding," said the International Federation of Red Cross in a statement. The mayor of Diaz Simango told AFP that cases of diarrhoeal infections had already been reported. "We are running out of time, it is at a critical point here," UN children's agency chief Henrietta Fore told AFP after she flew into the devastated port city of Beira from New York. Hygiene and safe drinking water are absolute priorities, she warned. "There's stagnant water, it's not draining, decomposing bodies, lack of good hygiene and sanitation," Fore said. "We are worried about cholera, about malaria, because of the stagnant water." World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Gerald Bourke said the aid effort was "slow to start, (but)... is now accelerating, thankfully." WFP declared the flood crisis a level three emergency, putting it on a par with Yemen, Syria and South Sudan. Relief agencies said the gravity of the cyclone and scale of the flooding it unleashed had been extremely shocking. The confirmed death toll in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe topped 550 on Friday, with 293 killed in Mozambique, and 259 in Zimbabwe, according to the UN Migration agency IOM, which said more than 120 of the dead in Zimbabwe had been washed into Mozambique. Around 1.7 million people have been affected and hundreds are still missing. Districts west of Beira resemble an inland lake, and thousands of people are still trapped on roof tops and on tree branches. The town of Buzi situated across the estuary southwest of Beira "has reportedly disappeared, with the water as high as the palm trees" and 40 prisoners and staff still trapped on a roof, said the International Committee of the Red (ICRC). "This disaster is a catastrophe," Prime Minister Carlos Antonio do Rosario told reporters in Beira. The government says there are still around 15,000 people still needing to be saved. Anger More than 65,000 people are already in shelters in central Mozambique and other sites are being opened. In Dondo, near Beira, food distribution finally started on Thursday at one of 20 schools transformed into emergency shelters. "Today is the first day we receive help," said survivor Marta Antonio. "But they don't give it to everyone, they only give it to those who are in the rooms. But those outside receive nothing," she said. Victims who were not housed in the centres were frustrated. They complained that they had been forgotten and for those lining up for something to eat, the food was insufficient. "I have four children, and they're only going to eat bread? Give me a bag of aid," demanded one man, who did not give his name. In Beira's Samora Machel Secondary School, where President Filipe Nyusi was educated, more than 1,000 people found shelter, where many slept on the floor of an indoor basketball court. "Everything is difficult here. I'm fighting for my children to have something to eat," said Celeste Dambo, who said that by lunchtime she had not yet eaten anything since the previous night. On Wednesday, crowds of people looted a warehouse, taking away sacks of rice marked "China Aid." "People have suffered for weeks here, and they are understandably worried. This is a very difficult situation, on a massive scale, the response is building, you’re going to have hiccups, (but) a lot more people are weighing in," said Bourke. The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance. 'Cholera and malaria' Meantime the main morgue in Beira is teeming with bodies and burials are impossible because the city cemeteries are flooded, said the ICRC. "The mortuary at the city’s main hospital is full and there are dozens of bodies that need to be removed and cared for in a dignified way," said ICRC in a statement. "The humanitarian needs will tragically only deepen in the coming weeks," it added. The mayor of Beira Daviz Simango has been helping clean up the city, driving excavator. "We are starting from zero, we have started the work," he told AFP adding "our people have suffered a lot". Meanwhile, the ICRC has set up a dedicated website where missing people can be registered.

Aid workers scramble to get relief supplies to Mozambique cyclone victims

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Rescue teams recovered another 92 bodies, raising the death toll in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-team-seeks-to-provide-water-hygiene-in-cyclone-hit-mozambique-204753">Mozambique for Cyclone Idai</a> to 294, although this is a preliminary figure, local authorities reported Thursday.

A total of 47 bodies were found in Nhamatanda, in Sofala province, according to what regional administrator Toze Jose told the media on Thursday, and he added that there are other flooded neighbourhoods that authorities have not yet been able to contact.

In the neighbouring province of Manica, another 45 bodies were recovered from the floodwaters in Sussundenga district, Gov. Manuel Rodrigues said.

Intensive rescue, recovery and aid efforts continue with a large portion of the territory affected by the storm remaining flooded and tens of thousands of people being housed in emergency shelters until the situation improves and they can return to their homes.

Authorities estimate that some 60,000 people are waiting to receive aid just in Sofala province.

"It's a complicated, difficult situation. Communications are not working. Yesterday, we discovered some flooded areas that we didn't know about, making the affected zone much larger than had been thought," Saviano Abre, the head of communications for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Mozambique, told the media.

"Almost 145 square kilometres (17.3 square miles) have been flooded," Abre added.

Cyclone Idai swept across Mozambique from east to west, heading directly into Zimbabwe and affecting Malawi, wiping out towns and cities in its path of destruction. The Mozambique port city of Beira, with 600,000 people, was 90 per cent destroyed, according to the International Red Cross.

Almost 500 people are known to have been killed by the storm.

In Zimbabwe, which was hit by Idai last Friday, the official death toll currently stands at 139, according to the latest government tally, but authorities fear that figure will increase when they can get access to the entire area affected by the cyclone.

The UN World Food Program made public its calculations of the total number of people affected by the storm, which was the worst ever to hit Africa.

Some 200,000 people suffered property damage from high winds and flooding in Zimbabwe and will urgently need assistance over the next three months and some 920,000 are in a similar situation in Malawi.

In Mozambique, the UN program is currently working with the figure of 600,000 people whose homes were damaged or ruined, but expectations are for that figure to rise to 1.7 million in areas affected by the massive flooding caused the storm. 
&nbsp;

Rescue teams recovered another 92 bodies, raising the death toll in Mozambique for Cyclone Idai to 294, although this is a preliminary figure, local authorities reported Thursday.

Rescue teams recovered another 92 bodies, raising the death toll in Mozambique for Cyclone Idai to 294, although this is a preliminary figure, local authorities reported Thursday. A total of 47 bodies were found in Nhamatanda, in Sofala province, according to what regional administrator Toze Jose told the media on Thursday, and he added that there are other flooded neighbourhoods that authorities have not yet been able to contact. In the neighbouring province of Manica, another 45 bodies were recovered from the floodwaters in Sussundenga district, Gov. Manuel Rodrigues said. Intensive rescue, recovery and aid efforts continue with a large portion of the territory affected by the storm remaining flooded and tens of thousands of people being housed in emergency shelters until the situation improves and they can return to their homes. Authorities estimate that some 60,000 people are waiting to receive aid just in Sofala province. "It's a complicated, difficult situation. Communications are not working. Yesterday, we discovered some flooded areas that we didn't know about, making the affected zone much larger than had been thought," Saviano Abre, the head of communications for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Mozambique, told the media. "Almost 145 square kilometres (17.3 square miles) have been flooded," Abre added. Cyclone Idai swept across Mozambique from east to west, heading directly into Zimbabwe and affecting Malawi, wiping out towns and cities in its path of destruction. The Mozambique port city of Beira, with 600,000 people, was 90 per cent destroyed, according to the International Red Cross. Almost 500 people are known to have been killed by the storm. In Zimbabwe, which was hit by Idai last Friday, the official death toll currently stands at 139, according to the latest government tally, but authorities fear that figure will increase when they can get access to the entire area affected by the cyclone. The UN World Food Program made public its calculations of the total number of people affected by the storm, which was the worst ever to hit Africa. Some 200,000 people suffered property damage from high winds and flooding in Zimbabwe and will urgently need assistance over the next three months and some 920,000 are in a similar situation in Malawi. In Mozambique, the UN program is currently working with the figure of 600,000 people whose homes were damaged or ruined, but expectations are for that figure to rise to 1.7 million in areas affected by the massive flooding caused the storm.

Death toll at 294 in Mozambique after Cyclone Idai

The United States said Thursday it had sent a team to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-1000-feared-dead-in-mozambique-storm-204202">cyclone-hit Mozambique</a> to provide safe drinking water and other necessities after the region's biggest storm in decades.

Aimee Lauer, who is heading the response for the US Agency for International Development, said that an initially light 15-member team was en route to Mozambique with a potential expansion planned once the scope of the disaster becomes clear.

The group will provide chlorine tabs for safe water and hygiene kits to help stem the spread of water-borne diseases after Cyclone Idai smashed into the coast of Mozambique, she said.

"Obviously when you have that much water, access to drinking water for families is a significant necessity," she told reporters.

"That is not something that will be resolved overnight but in the coming weeks, hopefully, and months, as the water recedes and the infrastructure -- water sanitation capacity -- comes back online, we should see that shift," she said.

USAID said it was providing $700,000 in assistance -- $200,000 to respond to Cyclone Idai and the rest to cope with flooding earlier this month in Mozambique as well Malawi and Zimbabwe.

World Vision, a US-based Christian charity, said it has provided aid across all three countries including mosquito nets and chlorine to 80,000 people in Malawi.

The scope of the tragedy is massive with officials estimating that 1.7 million people have been affected, with the confirmed death toll nearing 400.

The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance but said it did not yet have enough information to give an accurate estimate of the need.

The United States said Thursday it had sent a team to cyclone-hit Mozambique to provide safe drinking water and other necessities after the region's biggest storm in decades.

The United States said Thursday it had sent a team to cyclone-hit Mozambique to provide safe drinking water and other necessities after the region's biggest storm in decades. Aimee Lauer, who is heading the response for the US Agency for International Development, said that an initially light 15-member team was en route to Mozambique with a potential expansion planned once the scope of the disaster becomes clear. The group will provide chlorine tabs for safe water and hygiene kits to help stem the spread of water-borne diseases after Cyclone Idai smashed into the coast of Mozambique, she said. "Obviously when you have that much water, access to drinking water for families is a significant necessity," she told reporters. "That is not something that will be resolved overnight but in the coming weeks, hopefully, and months, as the water recedes and the infrastructure -- water sanitation capacity -- comes back online, we should see that shift," she said. USAID said it was providing $700,000 in assistance -- $200,000 to respond to Cyclone Idai and the rest to cope with flooding earlier this month in Mozambique as well Malawi and Zimbabwe. World Vision, a US-based Christian charity, said it has provided aid across all three countries including mosquito nets and chlorine to 80,000 people in Malawi. The scope of the tragedy is massive with officials estimating that 1.7 million people have been affected, with the confirmed death toll nearing 400. The United Nations has launched an appeal for assistance but said it did not yet have enough information to give an accurate estimate of the need.

US team seeks to provide water, hygiene in cyclone-hit Mozambique

Indian Navy acts saviour in rescuing people in cyclone hit Mozambique

Mozambique: Major humanitarian crisis after cyclone hits Southern Africa

In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, the worst tropical cyclone to impact Africa that caused massive damage in several South East African nations -- ozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar -- India became the first country to respond to the disaster-hit nations by providing assistance.

The three ships operating in the Southern Indian Ocean were immediately diverted to Port Beira in Mozambique to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

India rushed its ships --INS Sujata, INS Sarathi and INS Shardul--in response to the request received from Mozambique government.

The category four cyclone stuck on March 15 and caused massive damage in central and northern provinces Mozambique while causing large scale devastation in the city of Beira.

According to an Indian Navy Release, "The disembarkation of HADR stores including food, medicines and clothing to the Mozambique Defence authorities has been completed. Arrangements are in progress to disembark potable water."

INS Sujata along with INS Sarathi arrived at Port Beira morning of March 18 while INS Shardul arrived on March 19.

The Ministry of External Affairs in a release said, "In this hour of tragedy, Government of India stands ready to extend support to the affected people."

How Indian ships helping the country

Indian Naval Ships are providing relief material in the form of food, clothes and medicine to the affected people. The Indian ships already had three medical practitioners and five nurses to provide immediate medical help and a medical camp has been set up.

Helicopters on board INS Shardul are operating from the local airport for rescue along with boats. Landing Craft Assault and Gemini rubberised craft with divers are being used to provide assistance for evacuation of marooned personnel.

The Defence Minister of Mozambique visited the Indian ships to oversee the relief efforts.&nbsp;

Reports of about 5000 personnel marooned at Buzi near Beira and those who required immediate evacuation are coming.

In 2016, after a drought in Mozambique, India had provided $10 million for the purchase of wheat and a donation of 100 tons of essential medicines and Transport vehicles for the country's Health and Interior ministry.

This is not the first time India has rushed its ships and provided support to regional countries. In past India provided help to countries like Sri Lanka in the aftermath of flooding in the country.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, the worst tropical cyclone to impact Africa that caused massive damage in several South East African nations -- ozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar -- India became the first country to respond to the disaster-hit nations by providing assistance.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, the worst tropical cyclone to impact Africa that caused massive damage in several South East African nations -- ozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Madagascar -- India became the first country to respond to the disaster-hit nations by providing assistance. The three ships operating in the Southern Indian Ocean were immediately diverted to Port Beira in Mozambique to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). India rushed its ships --INS Sujata, INS Sarathi and INS Shardul--in response to the request received from Mozambique government. The category four cyclone stuck on March 15 and caused massive damage in central and northern provinces Mozambique while causing large scale devastation in the city of Beira. According to an Indian Navy Release, "The disembarkation of HADR stores including food, medicines and clothing to the Mozambique Defence authorities has been completed. Arrangements are in progress to disembark potable water." INS Sujata along with INS Sarathi arrived at Port Beira morning of March 18 while INS Shardul arrived on March 19. The Ministry of External Affairs in a release said, "In this hour of tragedy, Government of India stands ready to extend support to the affected people." How Indian ships helping the country Indian Naval Ships are providing relief material in the form of food, clothes and medicine to the affected people. The Indian ships already had three medical practitioners and five nurses to provide immediate medical help and a medical camp has been set up. Helicopters on board INS Shardul are operating from the local airport for rescue along with boats. Landing Craft Assault and Gemini rubberised craft with divers are being used to provide assistance for evacuation of marooned personnel. The Defence Minister of Mozambique visited the Indian ships to oversee the relief efforts. Reports of about 5000 personnel marooned at Buzi near Beira and those who required immediate evacuation are coming. In 2016, after a drought in Mozambique, India had provided $10 million for the purchase of wheat and a donation of 100 tons of essential medicines and Transport vehicles for the country's Health and Interior ministry. This is not the first time India has rushed its ships and provided support to regional countries. In past India provided help to countries like Sri Lanka in the aftermath of flooding in the country.

India is first country to offer help to African nations wracked by Cyclone Idai

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Watch: WION Gravitas, 19th March, 2019

Death toll in Mozambique' Cyclone Idai, floods could surpass 1,000: President Filipe Nyusi

Death toll in Mozambique Cyclone could surpass 1,000: President Filipe Nyusi

More than 120 people have died and many more are missing in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe on Sunday after tropical cyclone Idai barrelled across the southern African nations with flash floods and ferocious winds.

Authorities in Mozambique said the toll there had risen to 62 in the centre of the country, while Zimbabwe said 65 people were killed in affected eastern areas after the cyclone tore across the region on Friday and Saturday.

Mozambique's environment Minister Celso Correia gave AFP the country's updated number of deaths in Beira and Dondo districts, but warned: "We will certainly end with a higher toll."

"I think this is the biggest natural disaster Mozambique has ever faced. Everything is destroyed. Our priority now is to save human lives," he said at Beira international airport, which reopened Sunday after being temporarily closed because of cyclone damage.

Idai hit Mozambique first on Thursday night before moving to Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, eastern Chimanimani district was the worst-hit part of the country, where houses and bridges were washed away by flash floods when the storm slammed the area.&nbsp;

The most affected areas are not yet accessible, while high winds and dense clouds have hampered military rescue helicopter flights.&nbsp;

"So far we looking at 65 people that have lost their lives," Joshua Sacco, lawmaker for Chimanimani, told AFP by phone, adding that between "150 to 200 people" are missing.

The majority of those unaccounted for are thought to be government workers, whose housing complex was completely engulfed by raging waters. Their fate is currently unknown because the area is still unreachable.

"We are very worried because all these houses were just suddenly submerged under water and literally washed away and that is where we have about 147 missing," he said. "It's very sad and the situation is dire."

Two pupils at a secondary school in the area were among those killed after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory, the country's civil protection agency said.

School pupils rescued

Soldiers on Sunday helped rescue nearly 200 pupils, teachers and staff who had been trapped at the school in Chimanimani.&nbsp;

The group had to wade through waterlogged and mud-churned roads for some 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) to reach a relief area, where they were given food and checked by medics, according to an AFP photographer.

Tents have been set up to provide shelter for those affected by the cyclone and scores of villagers have made their way to the relief area, some having trekked for up to 20 kilometres to reach safety.

Roads have been swallowed by massive sinkholes, while bridges were ripped to pieces by the flash floods, according to the AFP photographer.

The United Nations in Zimbabwe said that nearly 10,000 were affected by the cyclone.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who cut short a visit to Abu Dhabi over the cyclone, has declared a state of disaster in the affected areas.

'Worst disaster'

Idai battered central Mozambique on Friday, cutting off more than half a million residents of the port city Beira where the environment minister said 80 per cent of the electricity network was destroyed.

"All roads are cut, the infrastructure is destroyed, practically everything is destroyed," said Correia.

Beira international airport was briefly shut after the air traffic control tower and navigation equipment were partially destroyed by the cyclone. Flights began flying in on Sunday.

A significant part of the central region was "absolutely decimated by this cyclone, even larger than anticipated," said Jamie LeSueur, the International Federation of Red Cross's roving emergency operations manager for Africa after an aerial survey of the affected areas in Mozambique.

"It's bad and there's potential for it to get even worse," he said as rain continued in Zimbabwe, "which could potentially lead to another flood," said in Beira.&nbsp;

The World Food Programme (WFP) said its "projections indicate at-least 1.7 million people were in the direct path of the cyclone in Mozambique, and 920,000 people were affected in Malawi. Thousands more are potentially impacted by events in Zimbabwe where assessments are ongoing".

Despite having part of its roof torn off, Beira airport was busy handling flights and relief agencies have been setting up operation hubs there.

One Portuguese software business company owner Luis Leonor, 49, flew in from Maputo after having contacted with his wife via satellite phone on Saturday.

"She is fine. My house is fine but there's no more running water. I don't know what I will find there," he said. "My five employees lost their houses, they are staying at our offices."

Even before the cyclone made landfall on Friday, heavy rains earlier this month had already claimed 66 lives in Mozambique and 56 in Malawi.

&nbsp;

More than 120 people have died and many more are missing in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe on Sunday after tropical cyclone Idai barrelled across the southern African nations with flash floods and ferocious winds.

More than 120 people have died and many more are missing in Mozambique and neighbouring Zimbabwe on Sunday after tropical cyclone Idai barrelled across the southern African nations with flash floods and ferocious winds. Authorities in Mozambique said the toll there had risen to 62 in the centre of the country, while Zimbabwe said 65 people were killed in affected eastern areas after the cyclone tore across the region on Friday and Saturday. Mozambique's environment Minister Celso Correia gave AFP the country's updated number of deaths in Beira and Dondo districts, but warned: "We will certainly end with a higher toll." "I think this is the biggest natural disaster Mozambique has ever faced. Everything is destroyed. Our priority now is to save human lives," he said at Beira international airport, which reopened Sunday after being temporarily closed because of cyclone damage. Idai hit Mozambique first on Thursday night before moving to Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, eastern Chimanimani district was the worst-hit part of the country, where houses and bridges were washed away by flash floods when the storm slammed the area. The most affected areas are not yet accessible, while high winds and dense clouds have hampered military rescue helicopter flights. "So far we looking at 65 people that have lost their lives," Joshua Sacco, lawmaker for Chimanimani, told AFP by phone, adding that between "150 to 200 people" are missing. The majority of those unaccounted for are thought to be government workers, whose housing complex was completely engulfed by raging waters. Their fate is currently unknown because the area is still unreachable. "We are very worried because all these houses were just suddenly submerged under water and literally washed away and that is where we have about 147 missing," he said. "It's very sad and the situation is dire." Two pupils at a secondary school in the area were among those killed after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory, the country's civil protection agency said. School pupils rescued Soldiers on Sunday helped rescue nearly 200 pupils, teachers and staff who had been trapped at the school in Chimanimani. The group had to wade through waterlogged and mud-churned roads for some 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) to reach a relief area, where they were given food and checked by medics, according to an AFP photographer. Tents have been set up to provide shelter for those affected by the cyclone and scores of villagers have made their way to the relief area, some having trekked for up to 20 kilometres to reach safety. Roads have been swallowed by massive sinkholes, while bridges were ripped to pieces by the flash floods, according to the AFP photographer. The United Nations in Zimbabwe said that nearly 10,000 were affected by the cyclone. Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who cut short a visit to Abu Dhabi over the cyclone, has declared a state of disaster in the affected areas. 'Worst disaster' Idai battered central Mozambique on Friday, cutting off more than half a million residents of the port city Beira where the environment minister said 80 per cent of the electricity network was destroyed. "All roads are cut, the infrastructure is destroyed, practically everything is destroyed," said Correia. Beira international airport was briefly shut after the air traffic control tower and navigation equipment were partially destroyed by the cyclone. Flights began flying in on Sunday. A significant part of the central region was "absolutely decimated by this cyclone, even larger than anticipated," said Jamie LeSueur, the International Federation of Red Cross's roving emergency operations manager for Africa after an aerial survey of the affected areas in Mozambique. "It's bad and there's potential for it to get even worse," he said as rain continued in Zimbabwe, "which could potentially lead to another flood," said in Beira. The World Food Programme (WFP) said its "projections indicate at-least 1.7 million people were in the direct path of the cyclone in Mozambique, and 920,000 people were affected in Malawi. Thousands more are potentially impacted by events in Zimbabwe where assessments are ongoing". Despite having part of its roof torn off, Beira airport was busy handling flights and relief agencies have been setting up operation hubs there. One Portuguese software business company owner Luis Leonor, 49, flew in from Maputo after having contacted with his wife via satellite phone on Saturday. "She is fine. My house is fine but there's no more running water. I don't know what I will find there," he said. "My five employees lost their houses, they are staying at our offices." Even before the cyclone made landfall on Friday, heavy rains earlier this month had already claimed 66 lives in Mozambique and 56 in Malawi.

More than 120 dead after cyclone hits Mozambique, Zimbabwe

Cyclone Idai killed at least <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-120-dead-after-cyclone-hits-mozambique-zimbabwe-203943">157 people in Zimbabwe and Mozambique</a> as it tore across Southern Africa, officials and state media said on Monday, and vast areas of land have been flooded, roads destroyed and communications disrupted.

The Mozambican port city of Beira has suffered massive damage, the Red Cross said. The storm has also pounded Malawi.

"The scale of devastation (in Beira) is enormous. It seems that 90 per cent of the area is completely destroyed," said Jamie LeSueur, leader of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) team there.

In Zimbabwe, the Chimanimani district has been cut off from the rest of the country by torrential rains and winds of up to 170 km per hour that swept away roads, homes and bridges and knocked out power and communication lines.

Zimbabwean information ministry official Nick Mangwana told Reuters the number of confirmed deaths throughout the country was now 89. The body count is expected to rise.

The Mozambican state news agency put the death toll in Beira at 68, although television channel TVM reported that about 84 people had died across Mozambique.

Zimbabwean rescuers were struggling to reach people in Chimanimani, many of whom have been sleeping in the mountains since Friday, after their homes were flattened by rock falls and mudslides or washed away by torrential rains. Many families cannot bury the dead due to the floods.

The Harare government has declared a state of disaster in areas affected by the storm, the worst to hit the country since Cyclone Eline devastated eastern and southern Zimbabwe in 2000.

The country of 15 million people is already suffering a severe drought that has wilted crops. A United Nations humanitarian agency says 5.3 million people will require food aid.

In Beira, home to Mozambique's second largest port which serves as gateway for imports to landlocked countries in southeast Africa, billboards were blown down and electricity and telephone poles knocked down.

Large swathes of land city's outskirts were submerged, and many houses were destroyed. In some streets, people waded through knee-high water, avoiding piles of mangled metal, detached tin roofs and other debris.

Beira has a population of 500,000 and sits at the mouth of the Pungwe River.

The director of a company that jointly manages the port, Cornelder, based in The Netherlands, said the port had been closed since last Wednesday but was relatively all right and would hopefully resume operations on Tuesday.

At least two cranes would be working but damage to the access routes and roads further inland was more likely to cause a problem, said the director, who asked not to be named.

"It's a total blackout, so all networks and electricity are down," the person said, adding the company had large generators and enough fuel to run for now.

The fuel pipeline running from Beira to Zimbabwe was believed to be intact, the person said, though communication was still very patchy and therefore the situation at the port remained uncertain.

In February 2000, Cyclone Eline hit Mozambique when it was already devastated by its worst floods in three decades. It killed 350 people and made 650,000 homeless across southern Africa.

Cyclone Idai killed at least 157 people in Zimbabwe and Mozambique as it tore across Southern Africa, officials and state media said on Monday, and vast areas of land have been flooded, roads destroyed and communications disrupted.

Cyclone Idai killed at least 157 people in Zimbabwe and Mozambique as it tore across Southern Africa, officials and state media said on Monday, and vast areas of land have been flooded, roads destroyed and communications disrupted. The Mozambican port city of Beira has suffered massive damage, the Red Cross said. The storm has also pounded Malawi. "The scale of devastation (in Beira) is enormous. It seems that 90 per cent of the area is completely destroyed," said Jamie LeSueur, leader of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) team there. In Zimbabwe, the Chimanimani district has been cut off from the rest of the country by torrential rains and winds of up to 170 km per hour that swept away roads, homes and bridges and knocked out power and communication lines. Zimbabwean information ministry official Nick Mangwana told Reuters the number of confirmed deaths throughout the country was now 89. The body count is expected to rise. The Mozambican state news agency put the death toll in Beira at 68, although television channel TVM reported that about 84 people had died across Mozambique. Zimbabwean rescuers were struggling to reach people in Chimanimani, many of whom have been sleeping in the mountains since Friday, after their homes were flattened by rock falls and mudslides or washed away by torrential rains. Many families cannot bury the dead due to the floods. The Harare government has declared a state of disaster in areas affected by the storm, the worst to hit the country since Cyclone Eline devastated eastern and southern Zimbabwe in 2000. The country of 15 million people is already suffering a severe drought that has wilted crops. A United Nations humanitarian agency says 5.3 million people will require food aid. In Beira, home to Mozambique's second largest port which serves as gateway for imports to landlocked countries in southeast Africa, billboards were blown down and electricity and telephone poles knocked down. Large swathes of land city's outskirts were submerged, and many houses were destroyed. In some streets, people waded through knee-high water, avoiding piles of mangled metal, detached tin roofs and other debris. Beira has a population of 500,000 and sits at the mouth of the Pungwe River. The director of a company that jointly manages the port, Cornelder, based in The Netherlands, said the port had been closed since last Wednesday but was relatively all right and would hopefully resume operations on Tuesday. At least two cranes would be working but damage to the access routes and roads further inland was more likely to cause a problem, said the director, who asked not to be named. "It's a total blackout, so all networks and electricity are down," the person said, adding the company had large generators and enough fuel to run for now. The fuel pipeline running from Beira to Zimbabwe was believed to be intact, the person said, though communication was still very patchy and therefore the situation at the port remained uncertain. In February 2000, Cyclone Eline hit Mozambique when it was already devastated by its worst floods in three decades. It killed 350 people and made 650,000 homeless across southern Africa.

Cyclone Idai: At least 157 killed in Zimbabwe, Mozambique

At least 31 people have died in eastern Zimbabwe while dozens were missing as homes and bridges were swept away by a tropical storm, state television reported on Saturday.

Cyclone Idai, which brought floodwater and destruction to areas of Mozambique and Malawi, hit Zimbabwe on Friday, cutting off power and communications.

Pictures shared on Twitter and television footage showed roads, houses and bridges that were washed away while communication towers were knocked down and electricity cables blocked roads in Chimanimani district, 410 kilometres (255 miles) east of the capital Harare.

State television ZBC said 31 people had died in the district while more than 70 people were missing.

The information ministry said the army had moved in to rescue 197 pupils trapped at a local school.

"This a very challenging operation as it's being undertaken as a ground effort because of unsafe weather conditions for air efforts," the ministry said in a statement.

Joshua Sacco, a member of parliament in Chimanimani earlier told Reuters the district had been cut off from the rest of the country as the storm left a trail of destruction reminiscent of Cyclone Eline in February 2000, which devastated southern Zimbabwe.

Sacco said the death toll was expected to rise as rescue efforts continued.

Chimanimani, which borders Mozambique, has been worst affected, with the storm causing floods as well as destroying crops and plantations, Zimbabwe's Ministry of Information said.

Air force helicopters were rescuing people, but flights were being slowed by heavy winds.

Zimbabwe has faced a severe drought this year that has damaged crops and a United Nations humanitarian agency says 5.3 million people will require food aid.

The country's meteorological services expect rains to continue throughout the weekend.

At least 31 people have died in eastern Zimbabwe while dozens were missing as homes and bridges were swept away by a tropical storm, state television reported on Saturday.

At least 31 people have died in eastern Zimbabwe while dozens were missing as homes and bridges were swept away by a tropical storm, state television reported on Saturday. Cyclone Idai, which brought floodwater and destruction to areas of Mozambique and Malawi, hit Zimbabwe on Friday, cutting off power and communications. Pictures shared on Twitter and television footage showed roads, houses and bridges that were washed away while communication towers were knocked down and electricity cables blocked roads in Chimanimani district, 410 kilometres (255 miles) east of the capital Harare. State television ZBC said 31 people had died in the district while more than 70 people were missing. The information ministry said the army had moved in to rescue 197 pupils trapped at a local school. "This a very challenging operation as it's being undertaken as a ground effort because of unsafe weather conditions for air efforts," the ministry said in a statement. Joshua Sacco, a member of parliament in Chimanimani earlier told Reuters the district had been cut off from the rest of the country as the storm left a trail of destruction reminiscent of Cyclone Eline in February 2000, which devastated southern Zimbabwe. Sacco said the death toll was expected to rise as rescue efforts continued. Chimanimani, which borders Mozambique, has been worst affected, with the storm causing floods as well as destroying crops and plantations, Zimbabwe's Ministry of Information said. Air force helicopters were rescuing people, but flights were being slowed by heavy winds. Zimbabwe has faced a severe drought this year that has damaged crops and a United Nations humanitarian agency says 5.3 million people will require food aid. The country's meteorological services expect rains to continue throughout the weekend.

Cyclone Idai batters Zimbabwe, at least 31 people dead

In the wake of cyclone Idai hitting the Mozambican coast, the Indian Navy on Friday diverted ships to the African country for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) work.

"#IndianNavy diverts Mission Deployed ships of Training Squadron operating off Mauritius, to Mozambique for HADR efforts in wake of cyclone IDAI @SpokespersonMoD @DefenceMinIndia @IAF_MCC @nsitharaman @narendramodi (sic)," the Navy's spokesperson tweeted.

Cyclone Idai battered Mozambican coastal city Beira on Friday, jeopardising the lives of nearly half a million people. As per reports, the city's power grid has crashed, airport shut and roads inundated. The cyclone has claimed 66 lives nationwide.&nbsp;

In the wake of cyclone Idai hitting the Mozambican coast, the Indian Navy on Friday diverted ships to the African country for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) work.

In the wake of cyclone Idai hitting the Mozambican coast, the Indian Navy on Friday diverted ships to the African country for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) work. "#IndianNavy diverts Mission Deployed ships of Training Squadron operating off Mauritius, to Mozambique for HADR efforts in wake of cyclone IDAI @SpokespersonMoD @DefenceMinIndia @IAF_MCC @nsitharaman @narendramodi (sic)," the Navy's spokesperson tweeted. Cyclone Idai battered Mozambican coastal city Beira on Friday, jeopardising the lives of nearly half a million people. As per reports, the city's power grid has crashed, airport shut and roads inundated. The cyclone has claimed 66 lives nationwide.

Cyclone Idai: Indian Navy diverts ships for disaster relief

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

"Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday.

Twelve people were killed and 14 injured in an attack by suspected jihadists on a village in a gas-rich region of northern Mozambique, a local source told AFP on Friday. "Ten people killed were shot by firearms and two burnt (to death) after 55 houses were charred. A person was beheaded after being shot dead" in the northern village of Paqueue late Thursday, said the source.

12 killed, 14 wounded in Mozambique jihadist attacks: Source

By:&nbsp;Andries Bezuidenhout*

What is the ultimate song to celebrate Workers' Day? Many will suggest "The Internationale" which had its roots as a poem written in the aftermath of the Paris Commune in 1871 by Eugène Pottier, a transport worker. Set to music a few years later, it became the anthem for the wider progressive movement.

It served as the Soviet Union’s anthem after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, making it more closely associated with the communist movement.

But I would argue that trumpeter Hugh Masekela's iconic and internationally popular song "Stimela" – the coal train – is perhaps a more appropriate anthem for Workers' Day in southern and Central Africa. The song speaks aboutthe local history and the migrant labour system on the mines.

"Stimela" reminds everyone that South Africa's wealth and infrastructure was built on the back of labour from all over Africa. They were the force that modernised the country. But the song is also internationalist in focus.

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Later recordings of the song typically begin with bass rhythms and percussion mimicking the sound of a train on its tracks. Then the instruments retreat to the background and Masekela announces:

There is a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi

there is a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe,

There is a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique,

From Lesotho, from Botswana, from Swaziland,

From all the hinterland of Southern and Central Africa.

This train carries young and old, African men

Who are conscripted to come and work on contract

In the golden mineral mines of Johannesburg

And its surrounding metropolis, sixteen hours or more a day

For almost no pay.

Early morning commute

Until recently I was responsible for teaching an introductory course in sociology to first-year university students. The auditorium in which I delivered the lectures had a beautiful sound system.

I’d plug in my computer and play music before lectures started. The music served two purposes. I liked to imagine that it allowed students to find some calm after their early morning commute from the city’s periphery on dilapidated trains.

It was also a way to introduce debates about key topics covered in the first year course.

I always started the first lecture of the year with Masekela’s "Stimela" because it was the perfect opening to a conversation about the forces that modernised South Africa.

South Africa's was not a slow, organic growth of industrialisation that characterised the European transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism, the great transformation that gave rise to my discipline of sociology, with Karl Marx as one of its key contributors.

The emergence of modern South Africa was brutal in a different way. It came about as a result of the discovery of diamonds and gold, and the need for cheap labour to extract metals from the seams that ran through the Witwatersrand's rock formations.

This was a story of labour shortages and the intervention of colonial administrations and armies across southern and Central Africa. They dispossessed pastoralists of their land and imposed hut and poll taxes on traditional leaders so that Johannesburg could be supplied with the much needed "Black Gold", as journalist-activist Ruth First described the system.

The song describes what’s on the minds of mining recruits on a steam train as it makes its way to Johannesburg: "They think about their lands, their herds that were taken away from them."

For Masekela, writing "Stimela" must have been, in part, a reflection on his own life. Born in the coal mining area called Witbank, he was raised by his grandmother who made her livelihood from a shebeen (an illegal bar) for mineworkers.

The legacy lives on

Up until the 1970s, when Masekela composed "Stimela" while he was in exile, South African mineworkers typically spent only a few years on the mines, saving up money or buying cattle to return to their lands.

But the 1970s was the time of great change in South Africa’s mining industry.

In 1974, 72 Malawian mineworkers were killed in an airplane crash. A year later, Mozambique became independent. Both Mozambique and Malawi were major suppliers of migrant workers to South African mines and these events put the steady flow of labour at risk.

In the case of Mozambique, the apartheid state was able to strike a deal with the new Mozambican government for the continued supply of labour. But Malawi withdrew permission for the recruitment of workers from their country.

The result was a shift to recruiting more South African workers and the emergence of career mine workers with much longer contracts. This change in the mining labour market eventually led to the founding of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1982.

The successful organisation of workers who were at the heart of South Africa’s economy was one of the most important pillars of resistance against apartheid.

Sadly, the mining industry's contested legacy and its migrant labour system remain challenges in the post-apartheid period. This is evident in a number of ways. The massacre of mineworkers at Marikana in 2012 was a stark reminder of the acute vulnerability and exploitation of workers.

On top of this is the inability of the mining companies and the state to provide many mine workers – now often employed through subcontractors – with decent housing and services. And finally, the issue of land dispossession still haunts the country and remains unresolved.

Steam trains no longer crisscross southern Africa. Yet "Stimela" remains as much a song about the present and future aspirations, as it does of the past.

*Andries Bezuidenhout, Professor of Development Studies, University of Fort Hare

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-best-anthem-for-workers-day-stimela-a-tale-about-apartheids-migrant-labour-system-95794">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL

Hugh Masekela's iconic and internationally popular song "Stimela" – the coal train – is perhaps a more appropriate anthem for Workers' Day in southern and Central Africa

By: Andries Bezuidenhout* What is the ultimate song to celebrate Workers' Day? Many will suggest "The Internationale" which had its roots as a poem written in the aftermath of the Paris Commune in 1871 by Eugène Pottier, a transport worker. Set to music a few years later, it became the anthem for the wider progressive movement. It served as the Soviet Union’s anthem after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, making it more closely associated with the communist movement. But I would argue that trumpeter Hugh Masekela's iconic and internationally popular song "Stimela" – the coal train – is perhaps a more appropriate anthem for Workers' Day in southern and Central Africa. The song speaks aboutthe local history and the migrant labour system on the mines. "Stimela" reminds everyone that South Africa's wealth and infrastructure was built on the back of labour from all over Africa. They were the force that modernised the country. But the song is also internationalist in focus. × Later recordings of the song typically begin with bass rhythms and percussion mimicking the sound of a train on its tracks. Then the instruments retreat to the background and Masekela announces: There is a train that comes from Namibia and Malawi there is a train that comes from Zambia and Zimbabwe, There is a train that comes from Angola and Mozambique, From Lesotho, from Botswana, from Swaziland, From all the hinterland of Southern and Central Africa. This train carries young and old, African men Who are conscripted to come and work on contract In the golden mineral mines of Johannesburg And its surrounding metropolis, sixteen hours or more a day For almost no pay. Early morning commute Until recently I was responsible for teaching an introductory course in sociology to first-year university students. The auditorium in which I delivered the lectures had a beautiful sound system. I’d plug in my computer and play music before lectures started. The music served two purposes. I liked to imagine that it allowed students to find some calm after their early morning commute from the city’s periphery on dilapidated trains. It was also a way to introduce debates about key topics covered in the first year course. I always started the first lecture of the year with Masekela’s "Stimela" because it was the perfect opening to a conversation about the forces that modernised South Africa. South Africa's was not a slow, organic growth of industrialisation that characterised the European transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism, the great transformation that gave rise to my discipline of sociology, with Karl Marx as one of its key contributors. The emergence of modern South Africa was brutal in a different way. It came about as a result of the discovery of diamonds and gold, and the need for cheap labour to extract metals from the seams that ran through the Witwatersrand's rock formations. This was a story of labour shortages and the intervention of colonial administrations and armies across southern and Central Africa. They dispossessed pastoralists of their land and imposed hut and poll taxes on traditional leaders so that Johannesburg could be supplied with the much needed "Black Gold", as journalist-activist Ruth First described the system. The song describes what’s on the minds of mining recruits on a steam train as it makes its way to Johannesburg: "They think about their lands, their herds that were taken away from them." For Masekela, writing "Stimela" must have been, in part, a reflection on his own life. Born in the coal mining area called Witbank, he was raised by his grandmother who made her livelihood from a shebeen (an illegal bar) for mineworkers. The legacy lives on Up until the 1970s, when Masekela composed "Stimela" while he was in exile, South African mineworkers typically spent only a few years on the mines, saving up money or buying cattle to return to their lands. But the 1970s was the time of great change in South Africa’s mining industry. In 1974, 72 Malawian mineworkers were killed in an airplane crash. A year later, Mozambique became independent. Both Mozambique and Malawi were major suppliers of migrant workers to South African mines and these events put the steady flow of labour at risk. In the case of Mozambique, the apartheid state was able to strike a deal with the new Mozambican government for the continued supply of labour. But Malawi withdrew permission for the recruitment of workers from their country. The result was a shift to recruiting more South African workers and the emergence of career mine workers with much longer contracts. This change in the mining labour market eventually led to the founding of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1982. The successful organisation of workers who were at the heart of South Africa’s economy was one of the most important pillars of resistance against apartheid. Sadly, the mining industry's contested legacy and its migrant labour system remain challenges in the post-apartheid period. This is evident in a number of ways. The massacre of mineworkers at Marikana in 2012 was a stark reminder of the acute vulnerability and exploitation of workers. On top of this is the inability of the mining companies and the state to provide many mine workers – now often employed through subcontractors – with decent housing and services. And finally, the issue of land dispossession still haunts the country and remains unresolved. Steam trains no longer crisscross southern Africa. Yet "Stimela" remains as much a song about the present and future aspirations, as it does of the past. *Andries Bezuidenhout, Professor of Development Studies, University of Fort Hare (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL

Opinion: The best anthem for Labour Day

People were trying to take petrol from the truck when it exploded, the government said.&nbsp;

&quot;The incident occurred when citizens tried to take petrol from a truck&quot;

&quot;Because of the heat, the truck burst into flames, leading to the deaths of 73&nbsp;people and causing burns in 110 others, according to investigators&#39; initial findings.&quot;

The truck was going to Malawi from the port city of Beira, when the incident took place near the border, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;Ambulances and medical personnel were deployed to the scene in order to assist the victims. The injured were evacuated to Tete hospital,&quot; some 90 kilometres (55 miles) away from the accident site.&nbsp;

Information ministry director, Joao Manasses said an investigation will be conducted to find out if the truck was selling petrol or people took over.&nbsp;

Fuel prices were increased recently after Mozambican currency, metical fell against the dollar.&nbsp;

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world and since 1992 is going through severe economic crisis.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The truck had overturned on its way to Malawi and authorities suspect that people were taking fuel when the blast occured

People were trying to take petrol from the truck when it exploded, the government said. "The incident occurred when citizens tried to take petrol from a truck" "Because of the heat, the truck burst into flames, leading to the deaths of 73 people and causing burns in 110 others, according to investigators' initial findings." The truck was going to Malawi from the port city of Beira, when the incident took place near the border, Reuters reported. "Ambulances and medical personnel were deployed to the scene in order to assist the victims. The injured were evacuated to Tete hospital," some 90 kilometres (55 miles) away from the accident site. Information ministry director, Joao Manasses said an investigation will be conducted to find out if the truck was selling petrol or people took over. Fuel prices were increased recently after Mozambican currency, metical fell against the dollar. Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world and since 1992 is going through severe economic crisis. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Mozambique: 73 killed, 110 injured in fuel truck explosion

Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the Indian community in Mozambique for keeping the essence of being an Indian intact. 
 
Interacting with the Indian community in capital Maputo, Modi said Africa was the land which first shaped the identity of the Indian diaspora. 
 
He complimented the community for keeping their traditions alive even after so many decades. 
 
&quot;Some of you might be fourth generation or third generation (Indians) but still, you all have managed to conserve the essence of your Indianness, and you keep handing it over to the next generations,&quot; he said. 
 
He also posed for photographs with the diaspora at the event. 
 
Before the address, Modi met the president of Mozambique&#39;s National Assembly, Veronica Macamo, and visited the Centre for Innovation and Technological Development (CITD) at the Maluana Science and Technology Park where he interacted with students. 
 
Earlier in the day, the Indian prime minister held a closed-door meeting with President Filipe Nyusi. Afterwards, India and Mozambique signed key agreements in areas of drug trafficking, pulse trading and sports. 
 
Modi arrived in Mozambique on Thursday and is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the African nation in 34 years. 
 
He left for South Africa in the evening where he will have a series of events in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, places associated with Mahatma Gandhi&#39;s stay in South Africa. 
 
(Reuters)

'You keep handing it over to the next generations,' he said

Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the Indian community in Mozambique for keeping the essence of being an Indian intact. Interacting with the Indian community in capital Maputo, Modi said Africa was the land which first shaped the identity of the Indian diaspora. He complimented the community for keeping their traditions alive even after so many decades. "Some of you might be fourth generation or third generation (Indians) but still, you all have managed to conserve the essence of your Indianness, and you keep handing it over to the next generations," he said. He also posed for photographs with the diaspora at the event. Before the address, Modi met the president of Mozambique's National Assembly, Veronica Macamo, and visited the Centre for Innovation and Technological Development (CITD) at the Maluana Science and Technology Park where he interacted with students. Earlier in the day, the Indian prime minister held a closed-door meeting with President Filipe Nyusi. Afterwards, India and Mozambique signed key agreements in areas of drug trafficking, pulse trading and sports. Modi arrived in Mozambique on Thursday and is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the African nation in 34 years. He left for South Africa in the evening where he will have a series of events in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg, places associated with Mahatma Gandhi's stay in South Africa. (Reuters)

Modi lauds Mozambique Indian community for keeping its Indianness intact

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