Wilson Baptista stressed that the families were transferred to a nearby location, located at a higher point in the commune, with the provincial government having already provided zinc sheets, nails and bars for the construction of shelters, in addition to social assistance from the protection commission. local civil service they received.
The increase in the flow of the Longa River, Cuanza Sul province, left the bridge submerged, preventing circulation on National Road 100, which connects Luanda to the southern regions of the country, said the same source.
"In this town of Hogiwa, the flood reached 100 percent of the town, it is located in the lowest area of Longa," the fire department spokesman told Lusa.
The person responsible said that the river bed is silted up [earth, garbage and accumulated organic matter], for this reason it is unable to release the large volume of water, a situation which is associated with the rise in sea level.
"This causes sea water to return into the river, meaning that this shock, at that point, caused this flood, which reached above 1.20 meters of EN no. 100, in that specific section", he explained. .
According to Wilson Baptista, despite the rain, conditions are being created to desilt the river and create water retention basins in that perimeter, as immediate and palliative measures.
The problem is cyclical, continued Wilson Baptista, highlighting the constraints caused in the movement of people and goods, pointing out the need for in-depth engineering work for the bridge, which is at a very low level and completely submerged.
"It is not advisable for light vehicles to use that section (...) the water level reached 1.20 meters, enough to prevent a shorter vehicle from passing", he stressed.
"The recommendation is for people to be patient and use other routes to enter the south or leave Cuanza Sul to Luanda, which involves using the Gabela route, and whoever leaves Luanda, passes through Alto Dondo to go to Sumbe or the other provinces on the south coast", he added.
According to the fire department spokesman, the forecast is that the central and northern regions of the country will continue to experience heavy rain, highlighting that many rivers converge on the Longa River, increasing the volume of the flow.
The governor of Cuanza Sul, Job Capapinha, in a meeting held on Monday to analyze what happened, considered the traffic situation on National Road No. 100, in the town of Hogiwa, to be "embarrassing", requiring in-depth reflection to safeguard human lives and social infrastructures.
"We have already contacted the central government to respond to this situation, taking into account that it goes beyond our capabilities and we await, in the next few hours, the deployment of a technical team to assess the situation and find the most viable forms of emergency to safeguard people's lives", said Job Capapinha, quoted by Angop, the Angolan news agency.
The rainy season in Angola runs from mid-August until the first fortnight of May, with the month of April being the month that sees intense rainfall.
