CHIREDZI – Heavy rains on Wednesday night caused flooding in Chiredzi, 138km south-east of Masvingo.
Residents were forced to abandon their homes as water swept in after the town’s drainage system failed.
Residents said property had been damaged in the floods.
“After a long dry spell, Chiredzi received torrential rainfall from around 9PM on Wednesday into early Thursday leading to flash floods,” said Tshovani suburb resident, Joseph Baison.
Baison, a teacher, was forced to abandon his house when water came rushing in, causing damage to electrical gadgets and other household installations.
“My printer and photocopier as well as books and certificates were all drenched. In the end, my room was like a small dam. I had to sleep on a neighbour’s sofa, his house is on higher ground.”
Such was the amount of rain that fell overnight that water had reached window level at the local bar, Khomanani Beerhall, which was still flooded by mid-day on Thursday.
Chiredzi council workers brought in a bulldozer on Thursday to create run-off areas for the water, as residents counted their losses after a sleepless night.
There were no reports of injuries or death, but locals said a lot of infrastructure – including roads – had been destroyed.
