Cyclone Freddie death toll passes 300 after four days of continuous rain batters southern Africa

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera attends a mass funeral. Photo: Reuters/Eldson Chagara

Stuti Mishra

March 17 2023 02:30 AM

Devastated communities and relief workers in Malawi and Mozambique are tackling the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy, which has left more than 300 people dead from four days of destructive wind and rain.

The storm has dissipated but tens of thousands have been displaced and weather monitoring centres warned countries are still vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

Freddy – one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones ever recorded – tore across southern Africa for a second time after first making landfall in late February.

It tracked across the Indian Ocean for more than five weeks in February and March before making the second landfall, and is one of the deadliest in Africa in recent years.

Mozambique’s Zambezia province has seen the death toll rise to 53, doubling the previous count, while Malawi has reported 225 dead, with hundreds more injured and some still missing.

The storm killed about 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique before lashing Mozambique for the second time.

Search and rescue efforts have been hampered by continued rain and power outages, as the storm caused severe flooding, swept away roads, and left bodies and houses buried in mud.

Malawi president Lazarus Chakwera has declared 14 days of national mourning and called for international support for relief efforts.

He said more than 80,000 people were displaced. Although electricity was starting to come back in Malawi yesterday, many places affected by the storm had not had running water for a week, including the second-biggest city, Blantyre. (© Independent News Service)