Cyclone Idai: Death toll climbs over 400 in Mozambique

World
Europe

02:06

Now to the aftermath of Cyclone Idai in southern Africa. Many people remain isolated after the tropical storm lashed Mozambique's Beira and the surrounding areas. The death toll is over four hundred and climbing. But thousands have been brought to safety. Our correspondent Angelo Coppola has more.

ANGELO COPPOLA BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE "Private individuals have heeded the call to get involved and do the most that they can do."

JAN DEVRIES, COMMERCIAL MANAGER CORNELDER MOZAMBIQUE "We have, in the port at the moment the Indian Navy, with a hospital ship, and they have put a mobile team here to help the people that come from Buzi."

People arrived in the port with only the clothes on their backs, telling harrowing stories of adults and children being swept away in front of them.

JUAN ZACHARIAH BUZI RESIDENT "I've never seen something like that. Back in 2000 when there was a flood, it came to here under my armpits, this time it was just so high. There were lots and lots of current. It was just taking people away. Many people died. My family is okay. There were so many people that lost children, because the current was so strong."

ORTILIA JOSE BUZI RESIDENT "I escaped by climbing onto a government building and the place was so packed we could not lie down. So we had to sit all the time. When it was raining we were just standing there."

While aid agencies were working with helicopters, with quick response times, their capacity was very limited.

JAN DEVRIES, COMMERCIAL MANAGER CORNELDER MOZAMBIQUE "We managed to get a bit more than 2000 people from Buzi to here out of the worst affected areas, with small fishing boats, because unfortunately the way they are, the bigger boats that we have here in the port they cannot reach there."

With the flood waters subsiding, the immediate danger from drowning is also reducing. The challenge is getting to people who have lost everything.

ANGELO COPPOLA BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE "Most of the fishing boats that have been chartered are in. There's one left out on the coastline, but there's a change of strategy. They are now taking aid out to where those people are because the water has receded enough. I'm Angelo Coppola for CGTN in Beira Mozambique."