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From George Maponga in Masvingo

The situation yesterday started slowly returning to normal at Lundi Mission on the border between Chivi and Mwenezi where nearly 300 girls at the school had to be evacuated after floods induced by heavy rains swept through dormitories.About 23 people who were marooned at the school were evacuated to safety on Monday morning by members of the Zimbabwe National Army with the district civil protection teams in the area on high alert in the event of fresh flooding.

Runde River bridge, which is a vital link between northern parts of the country and Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner South Africa was almost covered by flood waters in Runde on Monday, before water levels started to recede yesterday.

The girls were still crammed in a church at the institution amid fears of more floods although water levels had gone down yesterday.

Mwenezi district administrator Ms Rosemary Chingwe yesterday said the flood threat at Lundi Mission had ebbed although the affected female pupils were not returning to their hostels in the interim as a precautionary measure.

“Flood water levels have gone down at Lundi Mission and surrounding areas and we are relieved that the 23 people who were marooned on high ground at the mission were safely evacuated by members of the ZNA,’’ she said.

“We expect the 270 girls affected by floods to return to their hostels tomorrow (today) unless there are fresh rains. The situation is actually back to normal now, but the authorities have decided that the students spend another day out of their hostels as a precautionary measure,’’ she added.

Ms Chingwe said they would closely monitor the situation at the school where some pupils became hysterical after the floods.

She also said regular contacts would be made with sister CPU teams in the Midlands province where the catchment area of Runde River starts, to get information on the rainfall situation in the area.

Ms Chingwe dismissed reports doing rounds that flood waters had swept away Runde River bridge bordering Mwenezi and Chivi.

“Runde River bridge is intact and we would have stopped traffic from both sides if water levels had reached a certain level where it would flow over the bridge,’’ she said.

In Bikita, the Civil Protection Unit was also closely monitoring the situation after fears of landslides caused by incessant rains. Landslides claimed one life in the district.

On Monday, scores of villagers in Shashe resettlement area in Mashava and Madyangove communal lands in Chivi were left homeless after Shashe and Musavezi Rivers burst their banks.

Shashe River flooded after Muzhwi Dam spilled upstream. Nine families were evacuated from Shashe by the police sub-aqua team after they were marooned along the river while the Air Force of Zimbabwe airlifted three other people in the area. Two others refused evacuation for unknown reasons.

Masvingo provincial administrator and provincial CPU head Mr Fungai Mbetsa on Monday said an appeal had already been made for tents to provide temporary shelter to families left home by the floods.

Government and donor organisations were assisting the flood victims with food and tents.