Heavy rains render 342 households homeless in Likoma district

By Shamuda Drake

The preliminary reports from Likoma district council have revealed that at least 342 houses have been destroyed following the persistent heavy rains which have rendered people homeless in Likoma and Chizumulu Islands in the district.

Some of the affected houses PIC Clifton Botha

The country continue to experience persistent heavy rains including Likoma and Chizumulu islands for the past few days.

Unconfirmed reports show that about 132 houses have been destroyed on Chizumulu island alone, with more affected houses on Likoma Island.

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Officer for Likoma district Council Tamanda Nkhoma confirmed to Good Morning Africa News online about the development.

She said the majority of the affected population are the ones that use raw bricks to construct their houses in the district.

Use of unburned bricks is a major cause

"The use of raw bricks when building houses is what has caused this significant rise of the affected households. Many houses are built using unburnt bricks, making it easy for the rains to penetrate," she observed.

Meanwhile, the DRM office has sought accommodation for the affected households in the houses of other well-wishers while waiting for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) to address the emergency.

The use of raw bricks among the island residents comes as a result of high cost of living and shipping of construction materials from the mainland.