Nkhotakota floods death toll reaches 4

The death toll in the Nkhotakota District flash floods has risen to four following the recovery of three more bodies, it has emerged.

Nkhotakota District Council officials said details of the three remained sketchy yesterday.

As we went to press at 8pm, Nkhunga Police Unit were still gathering information on the deceased.

But information made available to The Nation by district information officer Wongani Mkandawire indicated that 12 923 people were in camps as of yesterday.

He said relief items from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) were being distributed, but the biggest challenge remained transportation as roads have been cut off and a lot of areas are hard-to-reach.

Mkandawire called for urgent financial assistance to carter for boats which he said are currently the most active means of transportation of relief items.

He said: “In the absence  of a helicopter, there is need for a bigger ship that can ferry relief items to the areas.”

Mkandawire further called on stakeholders to provide food items, sanitary materials, shelter and various items that can be shared to communities.

Last week, Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers joined the ongoing rescue operation.

Details from the district council indicated that the soldiers were using their boats in the rescue efforts despite growing calls for helicopters to be flown in.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Dodma commissioner Charles Kalemba said a search and rescue (SAR) team led by the MDF was working with communities.

“The SAR team is also ferrying food items, medical personnel and supplies earlier dispatched by the commission to areas requiring urgent  attention,” he said.

On Wednesday, Dwangwa in Nkhotakota was engulfed by floods following persistent rains.

Dodma initially said the floods displaced more than 7 000 people from Nkhotakota alone and the  affected were evacuated to nine camps in the district.

Dodma also confirmed that 900 people who were trapped in various areas were rescued by the national SAR team led by MDF.

In Karonga, an earlier Dodma preliminar y update said more than 600 households have been affected by floods following heavy and continuous downpours that led to the swelling of one of the big rivers, North Rukuru, in the district.

Meanwhile, persistent rains continue to cause further damage to roads and bridges and according to Dodma, the delivery of essential services to those impacted is highly affected.

The authorities have said immediate needs for the displaced communities include food, clothing, shelter materials such as family tents, blankets, dignity kits and wash facilities (cups, pails, water treatment chemicals and mobile toilets).

Nkhotaota and Karonga are among the districts that lie on the shores of Lake Malawi and are prone to flash floods.