Deadly floods have struck Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, killing more than 100 people. In Mozambique officials reported 13 deaths, including three attributed to crocodile attacks in submerged communities. Humanitarian groups say over 700,000 people have been affected and more than 72,000 homes destroyed. Authorities warn residents to avoid still and flooded waters as rescue efforts continue and additional rain is forecast.
Crocodiles Kill At Least Three As Devastating Floods Sweep Southern Africa; Death Toll Tops 100
Amilton Neves / AFP via GettyResidents sit on a Mozambique military truck transporting them across floodwater that blocked a road in the Boane district on January 16, 2026.
Devastating flooding across southern Africa has left more than 100 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, officials say. Heavy rains over recent weeks have inundated communities in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, pushing rivers over their banks and sweeping crocodiles into submerged settlements.
Casualties and Immediate Impact
Authorities reported on Jan. 16 that the combined death toll across Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe has exceeded 100. In Mozambique alone officials said 13 people have died; among them, three fatalities were attributed to crocodile attacks in floodwaters, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. One recent incident in the Maputo province reportedly left a man 'swallowed' by a crocodile in the town of Moamba.
Orlando Chauke / AFP via GettyA general view of building and an informal structure submerged in floodwater in Giyani on January 16, 2026.
Humanitarian Toll
Humanitarian agencies estimate that more than 700,000 people have been affected by the floods, roughly half of them children. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that over 72,000 homes were destroyed. Local and international responders continue search, rescue and relief operations under difficult conditions.
Warnings And Risks
Paola Emerson, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Mozambique, warned that the animals 'are in the Limpopo river' and 'are able to get into populated areas that are now submerged under water and that is the concern.'
Maputo provincial officials have urged residents not to approach still or submerged waters because crocodiles are drifting into populated areas. Authorities have emphasized the danger posed by wildlife forced from their habitats and by rapidly rising, fast-moving water.
Emidio JOZINE / AFP via GettyThis aerial view shows residents wading through floodwater to cross a road near Maputo on January 20, 2026.
Outlook And Response
IFRC Program and Operations Manager Rachel Fowler cautioned that 'the situation could worsen' as more rain is expected and dams are already at full capacity. Officials described the current floods as the worst in the region since 2000, when Mozambique alone suffered an estimated 700 fatalities. The death toll from the present crisis is expected to rise as teams continue assessments and recover missing people.
Among the missing is Andile Mngwevu, a councillor in South Africa's Ekurhuleni municipality, who reportedly disappeared after a vehicle was swept away in Gaza province floodwaters; only one of five people in that vehicle has been accounted for so far.
Initial estimates to repair infrastructure and homes are already being prepared: Al Jazeera cited a preliminary figure of about $30 million. Humanitarian agencies and local authorities continue to coordinate relief operations while warning residents to avoid flooded areas and still water for their safety.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, IFRC, Al Jazeera.
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