Deadly Floods in Mozambique Force Evacuations as Crocodiles Enter Submerged Towns

Severe flooding in southern Mozambique has caused widespread destruction, displaced hundreds of thousands, and led to at least 13 deaths, including three from crocodile attacks. Rising waters from the Limpopo River have pushed wildlife into populated areas, heightening risks for residents. The floods have destroyed homes, infrastructure, and farmland, deepening a humanitarian crisis affecting over 700,000 people, more than half of them children.

Flooding in Mozambique has taken a deadly turn as crocodiles are now appearing in towns that have been submerged by rising waters, leading to at least three deaths. In Xai-Xai, the provincial capital of Gaza province and one of the worst-hit areas in southern Mozambique, authorities have warned residents to remain extremely cautious as evacuations to higher ground continue and the danger from wildlife increases. The floods have created conditions that allow crocodiles to move freely from rivers into populated areas, placing already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
Over the past month, torrential rains and widespread flooding across southern Africa have caused massive destruction in Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. More than 100 people have died across the region, while thousands of homes have been destroyed and critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, and health centers badly damaged. In Mozambique alone, 13 deaths have been officially linked to the floods, with three of those fatalities caused by crocodile attacks.
Paola Emerson, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Mozambique, explained that rising river levels have reached urban and densely populated areas. According to her, crocodiles living in the Limpopo River are now able to enter communities that are submerged, creating serious safety concerns for residents who are already struggling with displacement and loss of property. The Limpopo River, which flows from South Africa through Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean, has overflowed its banks and connected with surrounding waterways and floodplains.
Several recent attacks have highlighted the danger. Earlier this month, two people were killed and three others injured in crocodile attacks in the Gaza region. In another incident, a man was reportedly swallowed by a crocodile in the town of Moamba in Maputo province, according to local officials. Authorities believe the animals were pushed into residential areas by floodwaters flowing from a neighboring national park in South Africa.
Officials have urged residents to avoid approaching still or flooded waters, warning that crocodiles may be present in any connected water source. Local leaders stressed that rivers have merged with other water bodies, making it difficult to predict where the reptiles may appear. The presence of crocodiles has added a frightening dimension to an already devastating disaster.
Beyond the immediate threat from wildlife, the floods have triggered a worsening humanitarian crisis. Weeks of heavy rainfall, combined with emergency dam releases to prevent structural failures, have affected more than 700,000 people, over half of them children. Vast areas of farmland have been destroyed, leaving families without food or income, while many communities remain cut off from basic services. Humanitarian agencies such as the World Food Program and UNICEF continue to respond to the growing needs, as Mozambique faces one of its most severe flood emergencies in recent years.