Maputo, March 19, 2026 (Lusa) – The state-owned Mozambique Railways (CFM) has postponed by one month, until 15 April, the reopening of the Limpopo railway line, which has been affected by floods in the south of the country since January, the company announced on Thursday.
In a statement, the management of CFM-Sul explained that the rains and floods occurring in the southern and central regions since mid-January have had an "impact on the southern railway network in general and the Limpopo Line in particular."
The Limpopo Line provides vital connectivity and transport for people and goods to landlocked countries, including Zimbabwe, transporting products such as fuel, grain, and containerised cargo. The railway company added that it had previously set 17 March "as the deadline for the completion of line restoration works," a date that has now been pushed back by one month.
"However, the recent rains falling in the southern part of the country forced a halt to the works, in addition to increasing the flow of some rivers along the Limpopo river basin, a situation that requires more time for water levels to recede, especially at points where work on culverts and bridges is necessary," the statement reads.
The management of CFM-Sul further noted that the forecast for reopening the Limpopo line is now 15 April.
At the end of January, the company confirmed a loss of US$3 million (€2.5 million) following the suspension of traffic on the Limpopo line due to the flooding, based only on the first two weeks and resulting solely from the halt in freight transport.
The death toll for the current rainy season in Mozambique has risen to 280, with 915,000 people affected since October, according to a new update from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).
According to the INGD database updated as of late Wednesday, one additional death was recorded in the last 24 hours. A total of 913,460 people (an increase of 15,000 compared to the previous report) have been affected during this rainy season, which continues until April, representing 210,549 families. There are also 11 missing persons and 341 injured.
January's floods alone caused at least 43 deaths, 147 injuries, and nine missing persons, affecting a total of 715,716 people globally. Furthermore, the passage of Cyclone Gezani through Inhambane on 13 and 14 February caused four more deaths and affected 9,040 people, according to updated INGD figures.
In the current rainy season, a total of 16,180 houses have been partially destroyed, 6,528 totally destroyed, and 189,392 flooded. Altogether, 303 health units, 84 places of worship, and 722 schools have been affected over five and a half months.
INGD data further indicates that 267,205 hectares of agricultural areas have been lost, affecting 351,155 farmers, and 531,058 animals died, including cattle, goats, and poultry.
Additionally, 8,435 kilometres of roads, 49 bridges, and 237 culverts have been affected this season.
Since October, the Mozambican disaster management institute has activated 157 accommodation centres, which housed up to 114,889 people. Currently, 27 remain active (an increase of seven in the last week due to recent flooding), sheltering at least 6,839 people, alongside records of 6,931 individuals who required rescue operations.
PVJ/RYOL // AYLS
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