Trending 
At least three people have been killed by crocodiles in Mozambique as floods spread across parts of the country, authorities said.
The incidents occurred following weeks of heavy rainfall that have caused rivers to overflow and inundate towns, particularly in the south.
In Xai-Xai, the capital of Gaza province, officials warned residents of increased crocodile presence as floodwaters reached residential areas and evacuations continued.
Authorities said 13 people have died in flood-related incidents in Mozambique so far, with three of the deaths linked to crocodile attacks.
Paola Emerson, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Mozambique, said rising river levels had pushed wildlife into populated areas.
“The river levels are rising and are reaching urban areas or heavily populated areas,” Emerson said after visiting Xai-Xai.
“So the crocodiles that are in the Limpopo River in this case are able to get into populated areas that are now submerged under water, and that is the concern.”
Earlier this month, two people were killed and three others injured in crocodile attacks in Gaza province, according to local authorities.
In another case, a man was killed by a crocodile in Moamba, a town in Maputo province, local media reported, citing provincial official Henriques Bongece.
Authorities in Maputo said floodwaters from a park in neighbouring South Africa may have driven crocodiles into surrounding areas. Residents were advised to avoid still or flooded waters.
“We want to urge everyone not to approach still waters because crocodiles are drifting in these waters. The rivers have connected with all areas where there is water,” local media quoted Bongece as saying this week.
Beyond the wildlife risk, the floods have caused widespread damage.
Heavy rains across southern Africa over the past month have killed more than 100 people in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, according to officials.
Humanitarian agencies, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF, said more than 700,000 people in Mozambique have been affected by the flooding, with farmland damaged and homes, roads, bridges, schools and health facilities impacted.
