Beira port holds up in cyclone

A spokesperson for the port told Port Strategy in an update that the General Cargo Terminal is fully accessible and its equipment is working. However, the warehouses of the terminal have sustained serious roof damage and are out of action for at least the next month.

The fenders on the terminal’s quays were swept away, although at the time of the update, replacements were being installed and two quays were set to be fully functional that afternoon, with a third anticipated to be ready the next day.

As for the port’s Container Terminal, the spokesperson said it would be completely operational in the afternoon at the time of the update.

No full containers have been damaged, and the gantry cranes have withstood the storm well, though the engine housing of the single-lift cranes has sustained damage, with repairs set to take a few days or more at the time of the update.

The two twin-lift cranes have experienced issues with water-infiltration through the AC system, but they were anticipated to be operational in the afternoon of the update.

Work to re-establish terminal functionality was expected to be finished that afternoon too, and the Navis operating system is running in the port office.

The Beira Grain Terminal is expected to be operational in a few days, and although there is some silo-damage, the conveyor system is intact.

Further information

The spokesperson’s update also said that the road to Beira is inaccesible because of flooding and that the water needs to lower before an idea can be garnered of the time needed for the road to be transitable once more.

“Communication in Beira is still difficult,” the spokesperson noted. “We are relying on Very Small Aperture Terminal for Internet, and phone calls are complicated. Voice services are expected to be re-established in the next few days. Up to then, email will work reliably as a means of communication.”

According to the spokesperson’s update, there has been extensive wind and water damage to the city of Beira and its surrounding area and there is no electricity and water.

The BBC has said that some 300 people have been confirmed to have died in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.