Three people have died in Karonga after five days of heavy rains since Friday, which resulted in flooding in the district.
A preliminary assessment report by Karonga District Council show that two children aged six and 10 drowned in Kyungu River while a man was struck by lightning.
Karonga. | Courtesy of George Mponda
The report said the three hailed from Mwenepera Village in Traditional Authority Mwakaboko in the district.
The report further said two other people struck by lightning are receiving medical treatment.
Reads the report: “From March 25 to March 30 2025, the district received heavy rains which led to flooding of Kyungu River, North Rukuru River, Wovwe River, Songwe River and other small streams.
“Affected traditional authorities include Mwakaboko, Kilupula, Kyungu, Mwirang’ombe and Wasambo.”
The report further said as of yesterday, 1 017 households were affected by the floods, out of which 161 have sought shelter in makeshift camps.
“We have three camps in Senior Chief Kilupula’s area; namely, Chimalabanthu Village Camp, Chakwera Village Camp and Yalero Village Camp,” it reads.
In an interview yesterday, Karonga district information officer George Mponda said there were capacity challenges in reporting by Village and Area Disaster Risk Management Committees compounded by accessibility issues, which delayed the assessment report.
He also cited inadequate resources for conducting assessment and verification. He feared that continued heavy rains could increase flooding incidents.
Mponda said from the preliminary assessment, immediate needs include food, kitchen utensils, clothes and shelter support such as tents, plastic sheeting, tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats to help the affected population.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula indicated that they will respond to the situation as soon as they get the report from the council, saying currently, local authorities are conducting assessments to establish the extent of damage.
Meanwhile, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services warned in a statement dated April 1 2025 that the threat of flash floods was still high in lakeshore areas.
