Correspondent|The death toll from Cyclone Idai- induced floods has risen over 70 with 65 deaths having been confirmed in Manicaland. However, deaths have been reported and confirmed by district administrators in Mashonaland East and Masvingo provinces as well.
In Chimanimani Town, five streets got washed away as the mountains around the town gave in. There was massive mudslide. 38 bodies have been recovered by locals undertaking rescue missions. One rescuer fell and drowned while leading rescued kids to a shelter.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo confirmed the death of the 65 people in Manicaland. The deaths in Masvingo and Mashonaland East were confirmed by Bikita District Administrator and chairman of the district’s Civil Protection Unit, Mr Bernard Hadzirabwi, and Mashonaland East Acting Provincial Administrator Mr Clemence Malawi repectively.
Mr Hadzirabwi said the four people who died in Masvingo were from Bikita where two girls aged six and 12 died in the Mukore area on Friday night after a house they were sleeping in gave way to heavy rains and collapsed on them.
The other two — a female and a male adult — also died in the Hozvi area in Mukanganwi communal lands on Friday night after they were trapped in the rubble of their houses which caved in owing to heavy rains accompanied by winds.
Over 150 houses have been destroyed in Masving, particularly in the eastern part of the province where heavy rains and strong winds have been ravaging infrastructure since last Friday when Cyclone Idai swept into Masvingo.
In Zaka some areas such as Chipinda, Muroyi and Chimedza were rendered inaccessible by road after heavy rains forced Chiredzi River to burst its banks.
In Mashonaland East the victim was an 83-year-old man who was swept away by floods and his body was recovered the following morning.
Mr Masawi said at least 20 houses in Ward 17 Masasa in Chikomba collapsed due to the excessive rains.
Minister Moyo said the bodies of the 65 died due to drowning and injuries sustained during mudslides.
Meanwhile, a United Nations team in Zimbabwe is helping the government in conjunction with other partners in supporting about 10,000 people affected by the tropical cyclone.
Some 300 refugees, who were housed at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Manicaland province, have been affected and 49 houses damaged.
The majority of the asylum seekers and refugees in the camp are from the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa; namely, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and other countries.