Mozambique militants don ambush one convoy wey dey try to rescue civilians from Amarula Palma hotel in di middle of fighting.
Hundreds of pipo escape di fighting, wey begin on Wednesday inside Palma town. Pipo wey move out from di area include foreign gas workers.
French energy giant Total say dem dey forced to suspend dia plans to reopen one big gas project for northern Mozambique, as Islamist militants dey battle to control di region.
Total say none of dia staff dey among di victims of di fight-fight wey dey happun dia.
Di oil company just only announce say dem go restart work on di $20bn (£14.5bn) project wey dem bin pause for January over security concerns.
One South African man dey confirmed dead, but many details no dey clear.
Total add inside one statement say dem trust di Mozambican security forces, wey dey battle to regain control of di area.
Human Rights Watch say witnesses describe say dem see "bodies on di streets and residents dey japa [escape] afta di.. fighters fire any how at pipo and buildings".
Northern Mozambique don tear apart sake one revolution by militants since 2017.
Militants wey get links wit Islamic State [IS] group dey behind di wahala inside di mainly Muslim region of Cabo Delgado.
Di fighting don leave more than 2,500 pipo dead and 700,000 odas don escape wit no wia to call home.
Mozambique hotel attack: Backgorund
Insurgents launch a surprise assault on Palma earlier in di week, attacking shops, banks and a military barracks.
Hundreds of pipo run comot deom di fighting, running into forests, mangroves or nearby villages.
About 180 foreign and local gas workers go hid inside Amarula Palma hotel.
Some try to escape di hotel in a convoy of vehicles on Friday, aiming for a nearby beach, Reuters news agency quote Lionel Dyck wey tok di one.
Mr Dyck dey operate a South African private security company wey dey work with di Mozambique goment.
But dem ambush those wey try to escape outside di hotel, Mr Dyck tok.
E add say at least 20 pipo na im bi first run to safety in helicopters.
Di South African man wey dem confirm say di fighting kill dem believe say him bin dey drive one of di escape vehicles.
One source tell BBC several people were successfully evacuated and reached the city of Pemba, 420km (260 miles) south of Palma.
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