MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Floods in a city in northwestern Mozambique worsened Tuesday after a major dam opened more floodgates to relieve the pressure on its walls.
About 400,000 people have been affected by floods that began early this year. More than 75,000 people have lost their homes, and 41 have died, according to official figures. However, the state-owned newspaper Noticias reported Monday that more than 50 had died.
More rains were expected, officials said.
Mozambique is still recovering from devastating floods last year that killed more than 700 people and destroyed roads, houses and farmland across the southern and central parts of the country.
The government launched an appeal Wednesday for $30 million in emergency flood aid.
The waters of the Zambezi River flooded low-lying areas of Tete city, the capital of Tete province, Tuesday after more floodgates were opened on the Cahora Bassa Dam Monday night.
Tomas Mandlate, governor of Tete province, said people in the city were panicking.
"The situation is now alarming, and we fear this disaster will be similar to that of 1978," he told state radio Monday night.
The Zambezi flood of early 1978 caused $60 million worth of damage and affected some of Mozambique's most fertile land. During that flood, eight of the Cahora Bassa Dam's floodgates were open.
The dam now has four floodgates open, and officials worried they may have to release more water.
The dam is currently discharging nearly 10,000 cubic yards of water a second, but water is building up behind the dam wall at 14,000 cubic yards a second.
Dam officials said the situation was critical for the dam, but they were trying to release water slowly to prevent a catastrophe in the Zambezi River basin.
About 55,000 people in the Mutarara district of Tete have been affected by the flooding. About 15,000 people have sought refuge in government shelters, which are suffering shortages of tents, medicine and chlorine to purify drinking water.
In the neighboring province of Sofala, about 26,000 people were in five government shelters. Swamped roads were hampering the delivery of emergency supplies, authorities said.
Authorities were also concerned about outbreaks of waterborne diseases.