Maputo, Jan. 27, 2021, SPA -- Tropical Cyclone Eloise has left a path of destruction in Mozambique, where more than 262,000 people were affected by floods and heavy rainfall, dpa cited officials as saying today. The storm destroyed almost 6,000 homes and damaged more than 10,000 houses, while 129 electricity poles were downed and many roads, bridges and fields were flooded, said national emergency centre official Antonio De Beleza. The number of people killed by the cyclone remained unclear on Wednesday, with officials quoting death tolls between seven and 16.  Eloise hit the southern African nation at the weekend with gusts of wind of up to 160 kilometres per hour. The cyclone weakened as it moved towards neighbouring Zimbabwe, Botswana and parts of South Africa, where heavy rainfall caused rivers to swell. It initially came from the island nation of Madagascar, where authorities said there had been at least one death and flooding. --SPA 20:27 LOCAL TIME 17:27 GMT 0023 www.spa.gov.sa/w1493810