Angola flooding halts traffic on Lobito rail, disrupting exports

Floods in western Angola forced the suspension of rail traffic in the Lobito Corridor, disrupting a key route for exports of critical minerals from central Africa.

“Significant damage” was caused to railway tracks near the Halo River between Cubal and Caimbambo, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) southeast of the coastal city of Benguela, Lobito Atlantic Railway said in a statement on Monday. Flooding also affected infrastructure near the Cavaco River after heavy rains on Sunday, the line operator said.

Operations on impacted sections of rail have been halted until further notice, LAR said.

The corridor, backed by US and European partners, links mining regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean port of Lobito. It carries copper and cobalt as well as materials used to support extraction processes at mine sites, making it a critical supply chain for global metals markets.

State broadcaster TPA showed residents stranded on rooftops as floodwaters inundated homes and streets in Benguela, 500 kilometers south of Luanda, Angola’s capital.

The region has been subjected to heavy flooding in recent weeks. In early April, rains destroyed about 200 homes and killed at least 23 people, bringing the nationwide death toll to 39, according to Angola’s emergency services.

(By Candido Mendes)