Mozambique Airlines (LAM) will operate a special flight on Monday (19) on the Maputo-Xai-Xai-Maputo route, with the aim of transporting essential goods and technical teams to support the emergency response to the floods ravaging the province of Gaza, as reported by Lusa.
According to a statement issued by the national carrier, the operation was activated following the interruption of road traffic on National Road Number One (N1), which is the main land link between Maputo and Gaza, currently the only province without regular flights.
The suspension of traffic occurred after a sharp rise in the flow of the Incomáti River, which overflowed and flooded a section of about three kilometers of the road in the district of Manhiça, Maputo province.
“The flight is intended to transport essential goods and passengers, including technical teams and other cases considered urgent by the competent authorities,” said the company, ensuring full availability to collaborate, within its operational capabilities, in assisting the affected populations.
The National Roads Administration (ANE) confirmed last Saturday the immediate suspension of all vehicle traffic on the Incoluane-3 de Fevereiro section of the N1 highway due to rising water levels. Technical teams are on the ground to monitor the situation and assess conditions for a possible reopening.
At the same time, National Road Number Two (N2), south of Maputo, is also impassable, leaving hundreds of citizens stranded in the district of Boane.
According to official data released by the government last Friday, the current rainy season has already caused at least 103 deaths and affected more than 173,000 people across the country. A total of 1,160 houses have been completely destroyed and more than 4,000 homes have been partially damaged, with a national red alert having been declared.
