Tropical Storm Freddy, which ripped through southern Africa for the second time in a month over the weekend has killed more than 100 people, wounding scores with trails of destruction in Mozambique and Malawi.
The World Meteorological Organisation said storm Freddy is one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere and could be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone.
It ran through central Mozambique on Saturday, ripping roofs off buildings and bringing widespread flooding around the port of Quelimane, before moving inland towards Malawi with torrential rains that caused landslides. The full extent of the damage in Mozambique is not yet clear, as power supply and phone signals were cut off in some areas.
According to Charles Kalemba, the commissioner of Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs, the storm has killed 99 people in Malawi, with 85 deaths reported in the commercial hub of Blantyre. Since its landfall last month, the storm has killed a total of around 136 people in Mozambique, Malawi, and Madagascar.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) country director Marion Pechayre reported that at least 60 bodies had been received by Blantyre’s central hospital by early afternoon, with around 200 injured being treated.
The injuries were mostly caused by falling trees, landslides, and flash floods, with many homes being mud buildings with tin roofs that collapsed.
Rescue teams have been working to find people in Chilobwe and Ndirande, two of the worst-affected townships in Blantyre, where it is still raining on Monday, and many residents remain without power, according to police spokesperson Peter Kalaya.
Malawi has been battling the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, and U.N. agencies have warned the situation could now get worse.
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