Dozens killed as Angola flood death toll rises

Dozens of people have died from floods following heavy rains in recent days in the Angolan capital, Luanda, and other areas across the country.

Emergency services have reported about 39 deaths in Luanda and the central city of Benguela, with more than 51 000 people affected.

The flooding also damaged thousands of homes and public infrastructure, with damaged roads and bridges, fallen trees and electric poles.

The collapse of a bridge pillar on Hâlo River disrupted traffic between the Benguela and Huambo provinces.

President João Lourenço mourned the deaths, saying the country was in a “race against the clock” to find, rescue and offer medical care to those affected.

The civil protection authority in its latest update says 26 people have died and four were missing in Benguela, while in the Luanda province, where the capital is located, there have been 13 deaths and five people were missing.

Local media reported six more deaths in the Cuanza-Sul and Malanje provinces.

Earlier on Sunday, the SCPB reported that 15 had died and said thousands had been forced to leave their homes.

In a statement from the presidency, Lourenço says numerous houses have flooded or collapsed, roads are cut off, and key utilities including water systems are damaged.

He says the government will provide help to the victims through the different state agencies that have been mobilised to deal with the crisis.

Heavy rains are not unusual in southern Africa during the rainy season, and neighbouring Namibia and Zambia have suffered deadly floods in recent years.

In 2023, 30 people died and more than 116 000 people were affected across Angola following severe flooding that affected 15 out of 18 provinces.
– BBC

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