Rains wreak havoc
What started as a normal sunny day on Monday ended on a sad note for several individuals and businesses in Limbe central business district (CBD) after rains destroyed properties.
During a visit to Limbe CBD around 4.30pm, The Nation found the town without power as electricity poles and lines had fallen down, in other places blocking the way for vehicles to pass. Yet other poles fell on buildings.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) workers were seen working on normalising the situation in some places such as at Yiannakis Roundabout on the dual carriage Masauko Chipembere Highway.
Limbe River, which crosses the Masauko Chipembere Highway near a complex housing businesses such as FDH Bank Limbe Branch and Airtel shop, swelled and flooded the bank and made the highway impassable.
Several other buildings also had parts or their whole rooftops blown by the storm that accompanied the rains, forcing occupants to evacuate amid heavy rains.
In Limbe Market area, a double-storey building housing residential and business occupants had its roof top blown whereas in Machinjiri Township, pictures showing a number of buildings with blown off roof tops circulated on the social media just after the rains.
Billboards were also not spared the damage, especially those made of canvas were completely blown off while those made of metal are standing on one foot due to the heavy winds that came as a result of the rains.
Two minibuses parked outside Limbe Police Station were also damaged. The Nation one minibus with had an extensively damaged windscreen after a tree fell on it while the other had its windscreen and roof completely damaged.
In an interview, one of the drivers of the affected minibuses said they parked outside the police premises after traffic police officers earlier impounded them.
Efforts to talk to the owner proved futile as he was reportedly locked up in discussion in the police station.
Limbe Police deputy spokesperson Pedzisai Zembeneko, in a telephone interview, confirmed the two minibuses damages, but could not confirm whether the minibuses were detained by traffic police officers.
Apart from the damaged minibuses, Zembeneko said other reported damages include Makhetha Health Centre whose rooftop has also been blown off in the course of the rains.
“Kanjedza Police lines have also been affected with the rains. However the extent of the damages is not known yet. Hopefully tomorrow morning full details of the damages as well as other damages that have taken place will be made available to police,” said Zembeneko.
However, a police source confided in The Nation that at least four houses at Kanjedza Police lines have been damaged leaving police officers stranded whereas several houses have been damaged in Machinjiri.
The source also indicated that several people were critically injured in Machinjiri. n
