Lilongwe under water, prompt Malawi VP Chilima visists flood victims: Commends Army

Malawi Vice president Saulos Chilima had an aerial view of the flood affected area, Mtandire, in the capital Lilongwe before he touched down in a military helicopter to comfort victims.

Aerial pictures of the area posted on social media by Chilima’s press team show gross devastation.

This was just hours after a military helicopter rescued 16 people who were stuck in the middle of raging, fast flowing waters after Lingadzi river burst its rivers following a six hour non stop heavy down pour.

The focus went to five students, stranded in the middle of no where in the raging waters but the military helicopter whisked them away to safety amid applause and cries of joy from hundred of people who stood on safety land to watch the rescue operation by the military.

Chilima, who struggled to walk in the mud as he personally made the extent of damage said officials from the Disaster Management will come up with an acurate assessment.

He however said the government will immediately give the victims relief items which include shelter materials and food.

Chilima said priority will be to under five children, the aged and people with disabilities who were affected by the floods.

In social media, the tax payer funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation has been condemned for its failure to cover the Lilongwe floods as breaking news and on its morning and lunch hour news bulletins.

There was total black out through out Friday on MBC on the capital city floods yet the disaster happened just a few kilometres away from MBC offices.

There was no official response but instead, the state run radio station was airing news that President Peter Mutharika will on Monday visit flood victims in Salima.

Meanwhile, Chilima has commended MDF officiers for rescuing people who could have died in the floods.

He said the Lilongwe floods came as a surprise and shocking to government as the city was least expected to be affected.

Some soldiers spoke of  the dilemma they faced when rescuing two children who clang to a maize stock as the soldiers communicated with them to hold-tight.