Cyclone Freddy death toll surpasses 500
Mar 20, 2023
Lilongwe [Malawi], March 20: The death toll in southeast Africa due to the exceptionally long-lasting Tropical Cyclone Freddy has risen to 522, according to authorities in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. Disaster management authorities in Malawi, which the cyclone has hit the hardest, reported on Saturday that the death toll there had risen to 438. Malawi's president, Lazarus Chakwera, declared Thursday a 14-day national mourning period. There are hundreds of evacuation centres set up across the country for survivors, with tens of thousands in Malawi left homeless and approximately 345,000 people affected by the heavy rains, floods and landslides. The cyclone left a trail of devastation in southeast Africa. Neighbouring Mozambique and the island nation of Madagascar have also been affected. In Mozambique, at least 67 people died, according to President Filipe Nyusi, with 50,000 more displaced.The death toll in both nations is expected to continue to climb.(DPA)
