Bridge collapses into flooded river, leaving more than 5,000 stranded in Catuane, Matutuíne

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Bridge collapses into flooded river, leaving more than 5,000 stranded in Catuane, Matutuíne

3:54 CAT | 17 Feb 2021

Photo: O País

More than 5,000 people have been isolated in the Catuane administrative post, Matutuíne district, Maputo province, since Monday, following the collapse of a bridge accessing the area. In addition, the Maputo River has flooded more than 2,000 hectares of agricultural land, leaving the population in need of food assistance.

The rise in the flow of the Maputo River, combined with almost week-long heavy rains in Maputo province, led to the collapse of the bridge on Monday. As a result, a total of 5,825 inhabitants of nine villages in that part of the country are cut off.

“The administrative post of Catuane is completely isolated,” head of post Nguiliche Banda confirmed. “Both from the side of Chinhanganine-Catuane, as well as from the side of Porto Herinque to Catuane, you cannot cross. Several sections of the road have been cut. Right now, no one can leave Catuane.”

No-one can leave and or enter the administrative post by land.

With the river having flooded 2,160 hectares of different crops (maize, ‘nhemba’ beans and cassava), the produce of some 1,800 subsistence farmers, local authorities fear that food reserves will not be enough to support the population until crossing resumes.

“The population lost all its production, because people had planted on the banks of the rivers and everything was flooded,” Banda added. “This situation puts the administrative post of Catuane in a very difficult position, and the post will have difficulty supplying basic necessities.”

At the moment, staff from the National Road Administration (ANE) are on the ground looking for solutions to ensure that the situation is remediated in the shortest possible time.

“There is a team from ANE, accompanied by the Provincial Directorate of Public Works and some local production companies, who are looking for solutions to see if, as soon as possible, conditions can be created for the resumption of movement,” Nguiliche Banda concluded.

Last Friday, the governor of Maputo province, Júlio Parrque, was on the ground to witness at first hand the situation of residents. After the bridge collapsed on Monday, a vessel was sent to the site to ensure the transport of people and goods between the two banks of the river, but it was unable to reach the desired location, the roads that allow access to the area being also impassable.

Recent bad weather has also resulted in the Manhaganhe reservoir breaching, local officials said

By António Tiua

Source: O País