Traffic along main north-south highway disrupted following cyclone

Nampula (Mozambique), 12 Mar (AIM) – The traffic between Nampula province, and the rest of northern Mozambique, has been severely disrupted by the passage on Monday of tropical cyclone Jude.

The country’s main north-south highway (EN1) has been cut near the Anchilo administrative post, just 15 kilometres from the city of Nampula, where about 15 metres of the road have been washed away.

The Nampula delegate of the National Roads Administration (ANE), Mateus Santo, told AIM on Monday “we’ve been in this situation since dawn and a contractor has already been called in to repair the damage.”

He explained that the work should take a few days and that, at the moment, alternative measures are being sought to make traffic more viable. AIM has learnt that in the area where the cut occurred there is a side road that goes around the site of the incident and is currently being used by minibuses.

Mozambique Airlines (LAM) announced on Tuesday the resumption of domestic flights to the north of the country after the passage of the cyclone forced their cancellation.

A note from LAM on Tuesday said that flights to the northern cities of
Pemba, Lichinga and Nacala have resumed.

The company also said that “the flights have already been carried out on the Maputo/Pemba/Maputo route, with an extension to Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania; Maputo/Nampula/Lichinga; and Maputo/Nacala/Maputo.”

According to the National Meteorological Institute (INAM), over the last 24 hours, Jude has been downgraded to the category of tropical depression. However, it continues to influence the weather with heavy rainfall and strong winds, accompanied by thunderstorms in some districts of the central and Northern provinces.

“LAM guarantees that it will continue to monitor the weather in order to take the necessary measures to guarantee safe flight operations”, reads the airline’s note.

According to the Northern Regional Water Board (ARA-Norte), all the main rivers in Nampula province are bursting their banks, and threatening serious flooding. The reservoirs behind the dams in the province are all full.

ARA-Norte has warned Nampula residents to avoid crossing the swollen rivers, and to remove equipment such as pumps from areas at risk.
(AIM)
Ad/Pf/ (362)