Malawi and Mozambique have begun rescue operations of survivors from Tropical Cyclone Freddy on Wednesday after the death toll has risen above 270 from one of the most powerful storms recorded in the southern hemisphere.
Cyclone Freddy hit southern Africa for the second time in a month over the weekend and has hampered relief efforts as it was still causing heavy rain on Wednesday.
According to Malawi’s disaster management department, death toll from the second hit stood at 225, up from 190 on Tuesda. Another 707 people have also been confirmed injured and over 40 people have also gone missing.
In neighbouring Mozambique, the disaster agency has said at least 21 people had died as of Tuesday.
The overall death toll is now estimated at more than 270 in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since Cylcone Freddy first hit in February.
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Malawi’s army, police, the local Red Cross and other aid agencies were conducting search and rescue operations, with commercial hub Blantyre one of the areas hardest-hit.
Heavy rain has continued to batter the Mozambican port of Quelimane and surrounding areas as severe flooding and mudslides have now swept away homes, broken bridges and destroyed roads.
“Our priority now, as we take stock to what really occurred, is to search and rescue people in most devastated areas. We’ve rescued thousands but thousands more are still unreachable,” disaster agency spokesperson, Paulo Tomas told repoerters via telephone.
Power supplies in Malawi have been severely disrupted by the storm after the national electricity generation company had to shut down major hydroelectric power stations.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
