Traffic on the main road linking the north to the south of the country, the N1, has been interrupted in the central province of Sofala following the rise of the Muare River, which overflowed its banks on Sunday, 11 January 2026, according to the Mozambique News Agency.
According to information reported by Rádio Moçambique, the river overflow occurred along the border between the districts of Machanga and Chibabava, flooding a significant stretch of the road.
The provincial delegate of the National Roads Administration (ANE) in Sofala, Egídio Morais, confirmed that about five kilometres of the road were submerged, and any attempt to circulate in the area has been prohibited.
“The river flooded approximately five kilometres of the road, and for safety reasons, ANE has completely banned vehicle passage on that section,” he stated.
Further south, in Maputo Province, the Mazambanine bridge in the Boane district, which connects the town of Boane to the Umbeluzi River water treatment plant, is at imminent risk of submersion.
According to the National Directorate for Water Resources Management (DNGRH), the situation results from increased releases from the Pequenos Libombos Dam on the Umbeluzi River. On Sunday, the discharge rose from 35 to 50 cubic metres per second, and it was increased to 120 cubic metres per second on Monday.
DNGRH explained that these releases are necessary to create usable storage space in the reservoir to accommodate new water volumes coming from the upper basin, including inflows from the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Authorities have also issued flood alerts for the Save, Limpopo, and Incomati river basins, recommending precautionary measures in riverside areas.
