- 190 people were killed when Tropical Cyclone Freddy blasted through southern Malawi.
- Across the country, at least 584 people have been hurt, and 37 have gone missing.
- “The threat of heavy flooding and damaging winds remains very high.”
Local officials confirmed Tuesday that at least 190 people were killed when Tropical Cyclone Freddy blasted through southern Malawi, while survivors searched for loved ones in severely damaged districts.
Across the country, at least 584 people have been hurt, and 37 have gone missing.
The Malawi Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change said Tuesday the cyclone is “weakening but will continue to cause torrential rains associated with windy conditions in most parts of Southern Malawi districts.”
“The threat of heavy flooding and damaging winds remains very high,” the report added.
Charles Kalemba, a commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told on Tuesday that the situation in southern Malawi has deteriorated.
“It’s worse today. A number of places are flooding and a number of roads and bridges are cut. Visibility is almost zero. Electricity is off and also network is a problem. It’s becoming more and more dire,” Kalemba said, adding that rescue operations have also been affected by poor weather.
“It’s tough. We need to use machinery (for rescue operations) but machines cannot go to places where they were supposed to excavate because of the rains,” Kalemba added.
Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services warned Monday that “the threat of damaging winds and heavy flooding remains very high.”
Kalemba added that an improvement in weather is expected from Wednesday. “Possibly by tomorrow, the cyclone may have passed. We are hoping to see improvement from tomorrow but today is worse. There are heavy rains and lots of water.”
‘I don’t know what to do now’
One of the severely devastated regions is Chilobwe, a community in the southern metropolis of Blantyre.
On Sunday night, the community, which is located below a hill, witnessed water flowing down. Officials claim over 30 people have perished in the region, and dozens more are still missing as search and rescue attempts continue.
Dorothy Wachepa, 39, was sleeping when she heard a loud bang that sounded like an aeroplane.
“It was around 12 and I heard the sound accompanied by shouting from people upland,” the mother of four told.
What followed was a torrent of muddy water accompanied by rocks and trees sliding down the mountain. All her possessions were washed away.
“Everything is gone. I (had) a small-scale business selling vegetables because my husband died in 2014. I’ve been supporting the children from the little that I have,” she added.
Wachepa and her children were lucky to escape the house alive, she claimed. The cyclone-induced torrential rains killed nine individuals, including Wachepa’s neighbour and some local youngsters.
On Monday, people were spotted searching for survivors in the wreckage with shovels and even their bare hands.
Sarah Chinangwa, 25, could not hold back her emotions as she described the deaths of six of her loved ones on Sunday night.
“My brother and his two children were asleep when the water came. I live close to them, and I tried to shout for them to come out,” she said.
“They came out and stood at a rock which was at a higher place, but moments later they were all washed away,” she said, adding that her own house was washed away. “I don’t know what to do now.”
According to the National Institute of Disaster Risk Management, at least ten persons were killed and thirteen were injured in Mozambique’s Zambezia region.
By making landfall in Mozambique for the second time, more than two weeks after the first, the devastating cyclone has smashed records for the longest-lasting storm of its kind.
More than 22,000 people have been displaced by the tropical storm, according to Radio Mozambique.
“It’s quite likely that number will go up,” Guy Taylor, chief of advocacy, communications and partnerships for UNICEF in Mozambique, told on Tuesday.
“The size or the strength of the storm was much higher than the last time … the impact in terms of damage and the impact on people’s lives has been more substantial,” he said.
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