Lawford Palani, Chikwawa district commissioner, told Reuters that about 20 villages have been destroyed following persistent rains and hailstorms in the area, about 50 kilometers west of the country's commercial capital Blantyre.
CHIKWAWA, Malawi (Reuters) - Three days of heavy rains have triggered flash flooding and displaced more than 2,000 people in southern Malawi, authorities said on Monday.
Lawford Palani, Chikwawa district commissioner, told Reuters that about 20 villages have been destroyed following persistent rains and hailstorms in the area, about 50 kilometers west of the country's commercial capital Blantyre.
"We are yet to establish whether the floods have caused any deaths and how much crop has been destroyed," Pelani said.
Pelani said most of the displaced people have been housed in churches and schools. Relief was being provided by the Malawi Red Cross and international relief agencies.
!ADVERTISEMENT!Malawi's meteorological department has warned of heavy rains that may cause serious flooding in flood-prone areas such as the Lower Shire Valley district of Chikwawa.
"Malawi will this year receive above average rainfall that will cause heavy flooding," Donald Kamdonyo, the country's meteorological department's director, told Reuters.
The government has been running advisories on state radio asking people living in low-lying areas to consider moving to avoid fatalities.
(Reporting by Mabvuto Banda; Editing by Bate Felix)
