ANGOLA - Torrential rains that swept across Angola in recent days have killed more than 30 people, according to a new toll reported by Angolan public television on Tuesday.
The storm has triggered flash floods that inundated streets and damaged infrastructure in the capital Luanda and the central city of Benguela on the Atlantic coast. President Joao Lourenco has said the country faces a "race against the clock" to find, rescue and provide medical care to those affected. Emergency services on Sunday had put the death toll at 15 and said thousands had been forced to leave their homes. Benguela has borne the biggest brunt of the flooding, with 23 people killed, TPA television said. Six people have died and one is missing in Luanda, the fire service said in a statement. In neighbouring Namibia, the Zambezi River has risen sharply, forcing thousands of people living along its banks to flee. Officials said water levels had reached about 6.8 metres (22 feet), well above the usual four metres. Heavy downpours are not unusual in southern Africa during the rainy season but scientists say human-caused climate change is increasing the probability, length and severity of such extreme weather events. (Bssnews)
