Aerial Footage Shows Devastation in Mozambique Following Cyclone Idai

Tropical Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction, caused dozens of casualties and affected tens of thousands of people, after making landfall in Beira, Mozambique late on Thursday, March 14.

The World Meteorological Organization said in a statement that the cyclone made landfall close to Beira City, bringing heavy rainfall, winds above 150 km per hour and a storm surge estimated at 2.5 metres.

This footage, taken on Sunday, March 17, by International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) representative Caroline Haga, shows the extent of damage and flooding in Beira.

“Coming in by helicopter we saw significant damage, barely any houses seemed intact, power lines and trees are down, many parts are flooding. What we hear that the situation outside the city is even worse,” Haga wrote on Twitter.

Intense rainfall before the cyclone hit claimed 120 lives and affected 1.5 million people in Mozambique and Malawi, the UN said in a statement on March 15.

“A major aid operation” was underway for victims of Cyclone Idai in the two southern African nations, they said.

After hitting Mozambique, the storm tracked into eastern Zimbabwe. The President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa tweeted his condolences to those affected and said Zimbabwean armed forces were working with local and international partners to provide aid.

Red Cross and UN agencies led rescue and aid operations. Credit: Caroline Haga / IFRC via Storyful