More than five hundred families in Caia district, in Sofala, have been evacuated due to the threat of flooding following discharges from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam, an official source said.

The administrator of Caia, Nobre dos Santos, said that among the evacuees are peasants who practice activities on the banks of the Zambezi River, small islands, which are always affected by the waters.

The source who is quoted by RM also advanced that the district is on high alert and everything is being done to avoid loss of life.

"We are monitoring on a daily basis because there are people, even though they know about the discharges and claim that they make a living from fishing work, these people make themselves to the river, to the riparian areas, at the risk of suffering because of the discharges," he said.

In addition to Caia, the districts of Chemba and Marromeu are also under threat of flooding from discharges at the Cahora bassa Hydroelectric Plant.