Brave villagers rescue trapped flood victims

Some community members in Nkhata Bay demonstrated courage when they swam in flooded water to rescue about 20 people trapped in the floods on Monday.

In an interview on Tuesday, Nkhata Bay District Council spokesperson Aliko Munde confirmed the rescue of the victims who were trapped for hours in farms around Limphasa River in the district.

He said the victims were cultivating and harvesting in their gardens while others went to harvest when the rains started, causing Limphasa River to flood.

Munde said the victims contacted the district council for help but by the time it organised rescue teams, some brave people had already gone to rescue the victims.

“When the rescue team got to the site, some of the trapped people had already been rescued and gone home,” he said.

Nkhata Bay disaster and risk management officer Sandress Kamanga said the district experienced rains but some of the water that caused the flooding was from rains that fell in Mzuzu.

He said when the people were going to the farms the weather was good, but it changed in no time.

Kamanga said some people attempted to climb trees, but it did not work.

 “It may be difficult to associate the floods with Cyclone Kenneth, but we have been experiencing heavy rains that are causing rivers to swell,” he said.

Kamanga advised people in the district to avoid going to flood-prone zones during the rains. Northern Region Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya also appealed to people to avoid crossing flooded rivers.