Rain brings travel chaos as M5 Salima-Nkhotakota Road closed

The heavy rain-thunderstorms and wind, in the Central Region of Malawi  is causing travel chaos with  Roads Authority (RA) warning thar all routes in the M5 Road (Nkhotakota-Salima road) has been closed because wit has become impassable.

RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga said the road has been cut off at a place called Lisozi Bridge, 50 kilometers from Kaphatenga after a caravan was vandalized and the road submerged.

Kajanga urged people to plan their journeys and that in the meantime motorists should use the Kasungu/Nkhotakota road through Nkhotakota Game Reserve as an alternative.

She hopes the road can be used after days but said with the extent of the damage, M5 roads needs to be reconstructed but pointed out that RA  is currently handicapped due to financial constraints.

“We need a lot of resources to reconstruct this road just like we have done with the Blantyre- Zomba and Liwonde-Mangochi roads,” she said.

Kajanga also  said the wind and heavy rain was causing problems at  Kammwamba-Phalula on the M1 road, where a caravan has been vandalized, the East Bank road where rocks and debris have blocked one side of the road and Kawale road near Share World in Lilongwe as some of the roads that have been affected by this year’s rains.

She  warned motorists to be extra vigilant on the roads  as driving conditions are affected by the heavy rain.

According to Kajanga, vandals have also taken advantage at Lisozi bridge, Kamwamba and Share World in Kawale, stealing  materials that hold the surface of the road to allow water to pass through.

Heavy delays are still being experienced in the area with excess surface water on roads in the central region as  most parts will continue to get the heavy showers.

“The band of rain at the moment is currently pretty heavy and there are further bouts of rainfall expected ,” weather  forecaster said.

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