MOZAMBIQUE: Cyclone Gezani killed at least four people in Mozambique’s southern coastal province of Inhambane, with officials reporting deaths caused by falling trees and lightning as the system swept past the shoreline. The National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said preliminary figures also recorded two injuries and about 500 people affected across the province, where strong winds and heavy rain damaged homes and disrupted basic services.
Mozambique’s National Meteorology Institute said the cyclone moved parallel to the Inhambane coast before returning to the Indian Ocean and no longer posed a threat to the country. Inhambane city and nearby Maxixe were among the areas reporting storm damage, including downed trees and power lines. Authorities urged residents to remain cautious around unstable structures and damaged infrastructure as assessment teams continued to compile losses.
Preliminary data from disaster management officials said the cyclone partially or completely destroyed 1,262 houses in Inhambane province. The same update reported damage across the education sector, affecting 738 pupils, 217 classrooms, 27 teachers, 100 schools and 17 education administrative blocks. Officials also reported impacts at eight health units and damage affecting two water supply systems in the province.
Officials said temporary accommodation centres were opened as the cyclone approached and during the worst conditions, with several hundred people moved out of risk areas. Disaster management authorities later authorized residents sheltered in Maxixe to return home after neighborhood checks and confirmation that minimum safety conditions had been restored. Local officials said field teams would continue visits to affected communities as part of the ongoing damage survey and recovery planning.
Damage assessment and evacuations
Electricidade de Moçambique, the state power utility, said 132,000 electricity customers were affected in Inhambane province and that technical teams had restored service to 115,000 of them. The company said about 17,000 customers remained without power as repairs continued. EDM reported that the cyclone brought down 61 electricity poles, with 32 already replaced and 29 still to be restored as crews worked through damaged sections of the network.
The utility said power had been restored in the cities of Inhambane and Maxixe and in the districts of Homoíne, Morrumbene, Massinga and Funhalouro. EDM said it deployed emergency generators to help maintain essential services in affected areas and mobilized additional staff, equipment and materials to speed repairs. The company warned residents to treat electrical installations as live during the outage period and to avoid contact with damaged lines and equipment.
Electricity restoration and safety warnings
Local authorities also imposed restrictions on sailing during the cyclone’s passage, with small craft kept ashore in coastal communities as conditions deteriorated. With the cyclone moving away from the mainland, officials reported an easing of immediate risk, while cleanup crews and residents began clearing debris from streets and access routes. Emergency services continued to monitor for localized flooding, fallen trees and additional hazards linked to damaged infrastructure.
Mozambique’s disaster management agency said the cyclone struck while the country was still dealing with the effects of heavy rains and flooding earlier in the rainy season. In an updated national report, the agency said weather-related events since October had left at least 211 people dead, injured 299 and affected 853,941. Officials said January floods alone killed at least 27 people and affected nearly 725,000, underscoring the pressure on response services as communities in Inhambane begin repairs after Cyclone Gezani. – By Content Syndication Services.