Floods kill 6 in Lilongwe
Six people have been confirmed dead while over 1,000 others have been rendered homeless following heavy rains that have destroyed houses and other property in Lilongwe.
Reports indicate that there are others who are missing and are feared dead.
A river that passes through the city’s Area 24, Chipasula, Area 22, Mchesi and Kawale, among others, on Saturday night overflowed resulting in the bursting of its banks in the said areas.
Meanwhile, Vice- President Saulos Chilima has urged Malawians to desist from constructing houses near rivers, saying some flooding occurs because the rivers’ flow is disturbed.
Chilima visited the affected families where he pledged that the government would do its best to support them.
“The relief items that we are providing should go to those that have been affected, not just everyone. Those that have not been affected by this disaster should not create problems. Among those that have been affected, there could the elderly, children and expectant mothers. These should be assisted first,” Chilima said.
He has also called on those living in disaster-prone areas to relocate to safer places.
“We also have to look at how to contain these problems so that they don’t affect more people in the future. This is just the beginning of the rainy season and more danger is looming. We have to avoid it,” Chilima added.
One of the affected people, Jane Faiti, a resident of Kawale Township, said her family has lost everything in the disaster.
She added that they failed to rescue their property because the flooding happened in a very short period.
“Things were happening very fast. Even though the rains were falling fairly, we just saw a lot of water surrounding our house. Then all of a sudden, the gate, together with the fence, collapsed followed by the whole ,house. We have lost literally everything,” Faiti said.
When we visited the affected areas, we found several affected families sitting desolately near their destroyed houses, some without a clue of where they would spend their next night.
Meanwhile, flash floods have also affected several families in Rumphi, with some people getting injured in the process.
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