Flooding in Mozambique killed two people and displaced hundreds of families, prompting the government to step up rescue operations and issue a red alert for some areas.

Torrential rains that have battered central Mozambique for weeks have raised water levels in the Cahora Bassa, a major dam on the Zambezi river. Authorities have opened the floodgates to to ease the pressure on the dam walls.

Opening the floodgates is expected to continue to raise water levels in the river Zambezi, Africa's fourth largest, and spill over to villages along its pathway through central Mozambique, independent daily O Pais reported on Wednesday.

The red alert, one step down from declaring a disaster area, was announced by the government after a cabinet meeting late on Tuesday.

Government spokesman Alberto Nkutumula said authorities would forcibly evacuate around 130,000 people from areas near river as water levels continue to rise due to heavy rain.

source: Reuters