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NewsDay

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Floods strike again in the Lowveld

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ABOUT 150 families were left in the open yesterday when floods pounced at Triangle Sugar Estate, a day after a motorist and two passengers were swept away and died while attempting to cross a stream in the same area.

ABOUT 150 families were left in the open yesterday when floods pounced at Triangle Sugar Estate, a day after a motorist and two passengers were swept away and died while attempting to cross a stream in the same area.

REPORT BY PATRICK CHITONGO OWN CORRESPONDENT

As the rains entered day three, a dam at George Mayor farm spilled and burst, resulting in the floods which affected the entire low lying area, particularly Zororo village.

When NewsDay visited the village, families were busy removing drenched household properties which include clothes, blankets, sofas and beds for drying outside.

According to one villager Felix Banda, everyone in the village was caught unaware by the disaster which struck while they slept on Wednesday night.

“I was asleep at around 11pm when I was awakened by noise in the compound as people shouted. I discovered that water was entering our house through the front door. Within minutes water raised to window level,” said Banda as he removed his property from the house.

On Wednesday a local businessman Munyaradzi Marisa’s car was swept away by a flooding stream when he tried to cross at Detoit farm, 15km from Chiredzi.

According to eye witnesses, Marisa was driving from Jerera to Chiredzi with two passengers who also perished in the tragedy.

The flooding disaster that stuck the sugarcane compound is reminiscent of a similar calamity in 2000 when the same dam burst.

Triangle Limited has since erected a tent to accommodate the families.

The tent was erected some 3km away from the village and the company has also provided Rufaro Hall as temporary shelter.

Adlaide Chikunguru, Triangle Limited corparate affairs manager could not comment on the situation saying she was out of office, assessing the extent of the damage.

“I am not in the office now and I cannot comment. Please put your questions in writing and I will respond accordingly” she said.

At village 5 in Nyangambe, seven families have lost their livestock and food due to the same floods.