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Evacuee women went to a shelter after picking up corn on the ground flooded by Hurricane Idai. By Yasuyoshi CHIBA (AFP)
Twelve people perched precariously on a mango branch, sheltered from the floodwaters of tropical cyclone Idai, which devastated all of southern Africa.
"But after two days, the situation broke," said Isabel Bernard, a survivor of the aftermath of the storm that had clung to the tree branch with her son.
"We were thrown to the water and lost sight of my son.I looked everywhere but I did not know where he was – I was terrified."
Still exhausted by the trauma she suffered, the young mother struggled to recount the situation that had occurred earlier this month when the Buzi River overflowed and she was had to flee his home.
Taken completely by surprise, she took refuge in the tree with her three year old son, Zacharia, a seven year old nephew and eight year old niece, as well as other people.
They were imprisoned without food or water when floodwater rushed under them, carrying human bodies and animal carcbades.
The branch was deformed and the group was carried away.
When she disengaged herself, she was covered with the dark red earth dislodged by the flood waters.
She climbed into another tree, now without her son.
"I spent three days in this tree, the time it took for the water to retire," said the survivor.
"I did not have my son and I did not know what to do, it was horrible, I was totally helpless," she murmured.
She was finally able to get off the tree and take stock of the dire situation that was unfolding around her.
Decaying body
She hoped that her son had survived their terrible ordeal, but a small body had been found in a nearby cornfield, Zacharia.
He will be buried where he was found.
"Of the 12 people who were perched on the branch, seven died" by drowning, said the young mother.
In Estaquinha, some 80 km from Beira, women lined up for help. By Yasuyoshi CHIBA (AFP) Nearly two weeks after the initial tragedy, vegetation is still hanging from the tree branches at a height of nearly four meters, according to witnesses, testifying to the magnitude of the flood.
Although the road sign that greets the drivers in the village of Begaja survived the flood, the village itself was almost completely destroyed.
"Water destroyed everything," said Zacharia Remedio, a primary school teacher.
"The school is the only undamaged building because it was concrete, there were also some stone houses and the little church that were spared."
Electricity pylons are scattered on the ground and there are only a few wooden posts after the construction of houses and businesses.
In the community of about 1,000 inhabitants located 90 km west of Beira, up to 15 villagers perished in the flood.
About twenty tents were installed near Estaquinha, Mozambique, after the cyclone. By Yasuyoshi CHIBA (AFP) Bernard, like 200 other people whose lives were devastated by the cyclone, is sheltering in a thatched church.
Maracame Mandava also told how he survived by sheltering on the roof of the school while his mother was the victim of the same fate as Zacharia.
"She hung on a tree, but she was old.After two days without eating, she was tired and fell into the water," Mandava said.
"We found his body in a field several kilometers away, a few days later."
After his traumatic experience, Bernard excluded the return to his village. "I'm afraid it will happen again," she said.
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