Monitoring Desk
BLANTYRE: The President of Malawi on Monday declared a state-of-disaster in several districts, including the commercial hub Blantyre following the powerful cyclone Freddy returned, killing dozens, the presidency said.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera “has noted with grave concern the devastation that the cyclone is currently bringing to most of the districts and declared a state of disaster in the country’s Southern region,” the presidency said in a statement after the cyclone left a trail of destruction and killed over 60 people in the southern African country.
It said the government is already responding to the disaster while appealing for local and international relief aid for the affected families.
More than 60 bodies were recovered during the day in southern Malawi, where heavy downpours triggered flooding, according to the Red Cross. More people are still missing.
Blantyre city was severely impacted, with regional police spokeswoman Beatrice Mikuwa saying at least 36 bodies were recovered in Chilobwe township, “which has been hit the most,” with several houses washed away.
Freddy, on track, to become one of the longest-lasting storms on record, barrelled through southern Africa at the weekend for the second time within weeks, making a comeback after a first wave in late February.
70 killed in Malawi and Mozambique
At least 70 people have died in Malawi and Mozambique as the Cyclone Freddy hit the two countries with strong winds and torrential rains, authorities said on Monday.
Police in Malawi said eleven people died in areas surrounding the southern city of Blantyre, where heavy rains triggered flooding.
Local authorities said, four more people died in Mozambique, as an assessment of the damages was underway after the record-breaking storm made its second landfall in the country on Saturday.
Freddy has broken all records for the duration and strength of tropical storms in the southern hemisphere. It struck central Mozambique as a cyclone on Sunday before moving inland and hitting Malawi overnight with torrential rains and strong winds.
