Reports said about 10,000 people had been affected by the inundation of farmlands in the Zumbo and Magoe districts of northern Tete Province. People living in low-lying areas were being moved to higher ground.
Military forces were placed on flood alert soon after the opening of the floodgate. At least 100,000 people were expected to be evacuated, according to authorities.
Munyaradzi Munodawafa, a senior Zimbabwe energy ministry official, said military forces would keep watch for heavy flooding on the Zambezi River following the weekend opening of the spillway gate at the Kariba Dam. Zimbabwe opened one of five spillway gates on Kariba at the weekend to ease pressure on the reservoir, but authorities said they were ready to deal with flooding downstream. Â