Cyclone Idai crosses Zimbabwe, killing dozens



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Cyclone Idai hit the ground for the first time in Mozambique on Thursday, affecting tens of thousands of people across the country and neighboring Malawi, as noted above.

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At least 31 people have been killed and dozens are missing in parts of eastern Zimbabwe following the pbadage of a tropical cyclone in the country.

"We have lost 31 Zimbabweans," the Ministry of Information said on Twitter on Saturday, adding that people had been "swept away" by the floods that killed dozens of homes and caused people to "die out". huge damage to the infrastructure.

The country's civil protection unit is leading the rescue, with help from the Zimbabwe Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration, officials said.

Forty people are missing, the government said.

S addressing local media, Karikoga Kutadzaushe, director of operations of the Zimbabwe Red Cross, said the situation was "pretty serious," adding that people displaced by the devastation were immediately in need of shelter. The Zimbabwean Ministry of Information said Saturday that "two command centers have been created" to accommodate rescued people from the most affected areas.

The municipalities of Ngangu in Chimanimani and Rusitu Valley were the worst hit, officials said.

The videos posted on social networks show extreme floods, dilapidated houses and broken down vehicles.

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Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa reportedly shortened his state visit to the United Arab Emirates to make sure he "participates directly" in the national response. He declared the state of disaster in the affected areas, tweeted the Ministry of Information.

The official government spokesman described the intervention as a "serious humanitarian crisis".

Cyclone Idai landed in Mozambique on Thursday, the World Meteorological Organization announced. It has reached tens of thousands of people across the country and neighboring Malawi.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Saturday that, although the impact has not yet been established, the initial reports indicate "loss of life and significant damage" infrastructure ".

UN officials estimate that 1.5 million people in Mozambique and Malawi have been affected by severe floods, with more than 120 people reportedly killed.

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