99 people killed in Malawi by Cyclone Freddy

• The majority of the fatalities occurred in Blantyre.
• The southern part of Malawi has been proclaimed to be in a “state of disaster” by the government.
• The government is already responding to the emergencies, rendering urgent assistance to all affected districts.

Cyclone Freddy struck southern Malawi on Monday, leaving at least 99 people dead, according to the country’s commissioner for disaster management affairs.

According to Kalemba, the majority of the fatalities occurred in Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial center.

“We have recorded 99 people dead in about seven councils, with Blantyre city as the highest with 85 dead and about 134 people in Blantyre alone hospitalized,” Kalemba told on Monday evening. He warned the number of dead and injured could rise.

The southern part of Malawi has been proclaimed to be in a “state of disaster” by the government.

Government’s Response

Lazarus Chakwera, the president of the nation, “has noted with deep concern the destruction that Cyclone Freddy is currently bringing to most districts in Malawi’s Southern area,” according to a news release from the government.

“Accordingly, the government is already responding to the emergencies, rendering urgent assistance to all affected districts, and appealing for local and international support for all the families affected by this disaster,” the Schools will remain shut in 10 of the worst affected districts until Wednesday, Malawi’s education ministry said in a statement Sunday.

The storm’s damage had inundated roads and created outages in the worst-affected districts, Malawi police spokesperson Peter Kalaya told.

Kalemba noted the difficulty of the rescue operations.

“We are still having a lot of rain coming down. We are now experiencing landslides, flash floods, and stones rolling down some hills. Because of the weather, rescue efforts are not easy. In some of the places we have to go and rescue people, it’s not easy to get there. It’s tough but we are making sure we do the job that we need to do,” he said.

More than 20 people have been killed and thousands of more have been forced from their homes in both Madagascar and neighboring Mozambique by the devastating Cyclone Freddy, which has set records for the longest-lasting storm of its kind.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) referred to it as a “very rare” storm and described its progress as “incredible and dangerous.”

Also Read

After making second landfall, Cyclone Freddy pounds Mozambique

Cyclone Freddy has caused serious damage in central Mozambique. According to estimation...