Heavy rain kills at least 14 in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed by heavy rain that has battered Mozambique since the rainy season began in last October, Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) said Wednesday.

"The major cause of the deaths was lightning, which killed 11 people, strong wings killed 2 and drowning killed one," Paulo Tomas, INGC's spokesperson, said at a press briefing.

He said these are only preliminary data as updates continue to trickle in from various parts of the southern African country.

Since the start of the rainy season, more than 25,000 people were affected and some 5,000 houses were destroyed, according to him.

Tomas said in the last few days, heavy rains pounded most part of the country, with a higher incidence in the northern and central provinces, with precipitation of 50-200 millimeters.

In the capital city Maputo, traffic on the Ressano Garcia rail line linking Mozambique and South Africa was cut off after the heavy rainfall destroyed the railway last Monday. Several neighborhoods in the city were hit by power outages following faults in electricity substations. Enditem