Six people are feared dead while 7 500 people are displaced across the country the Department of Disaster Management Affairs has said.
While houses, crops, goods worth millions have been destroyed due to flooding caused by heavy rains the past 24 hours.
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Paul Chiunguzeni said in an interview today at least 14 districts have been affected by hailstorm and floods.
So far five districts have been hit hard by the floods.
The districts are Mangochi (around Traditional Authority [T/A] Mponda’s area), Chikwawa (Ngabu and Nchalo), Zomba City, Dedza (T/A Kachindamoto’s area) and Balaka (Mpale area).
Said Chiunguzeni: “The reports we have are that so far, six people are feared dead, four in Mangochi while two in Zomba. But in some places, it is houses and crops that have been affected.”
The rains came later than expected and President Peter Mutharika appealed to Malawians to pray for them. The clergy followed suit.
Last week, the rains washed away a section of the M5 Road at Khombeza in Salima at a distance of 18 kilometres from Kaphatenga (in Salima) and 84 kilometres from Nkhotakota.
The Roads Authority (RA) have since fixed the place and traffic has started moving between Salima and Nkhotakota, according to RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga.
Nkhotakota Police Station officer-in-charge Slege Yusuf said before the road was fixed, it was difficult to go to Lilongwe via Salima and people were forced to use the longer route through Kasungu.
