HARARE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) said on Wednesday that it has temporarily closed the Harare-Mutare railway line following a major derailment at Odzi, a village in Manicaland Province.
The closure of the Harare-Mutare line, as well as the Chicualacuala-Maputo railway line, which was closed two weeks ago, means that there is currently no rail traffic moving to and from Mozambique, the NRZ said in a post on social media.
The derailment at Odzi occurred when tracks on the section were washed away due to heavy rains that fell on Sunday, affecting four wagons loaded with ferrochrome destined for the Port of Beira in neighboring Mozambique, the NRZ said.
Two weeks ago, the NRZ announced the temporary closure of the key Chicualacuala-Maputo railway line, which connects the Port of Maputo to Zimbabwe, due to flooding caused by continuous heavy rains.
The NRZ said the closure of the two corridors will severely affect trade between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as well as transit traffic to neighboring countries such as Botswana and Zambia.
It added that the re-railing process will begin afterward, followed by realignment of the tracks. "We expect the line to reopen by this weekend."
Weeks of heavy rainfall have battered parts of southern Africa, including Mozambique and Zimbabwe, overwhelming rivers and damaging homes, roads and farmland.
