Benguela: President Joo Louren§o is leading a meeting of the National Civil Protection Commission in Benguela to obtain detailed information on the consequences of the Cavaco River overflowing. The meeting will provide an overview of the situation and assess support and assistance for those affected.
According to Angola Press News Agency, early on Sunday, the protective embankment on the left bank of the river collapsed due to heavy rainfall, causing unprecedented flooding in several neighborhoods of Benguela city. The authorities' provisional assessment indicates that the overflowing of the Cavaco River resulted in 18 deaths, left 11 people missing, and caused 451 residences to collapse, leaving approximately 10,000 people homeless.
The worst-affected areas include the neighborhoods of Calomanga, Tchipiandalo, Massangarala, Cotel, and Santa Teresa, as well as surrounding agricultural areas and businesses. Reports indicate submerged streets and hundreds of partially flooded houses in these regions.
