Tropical Storm Freddy, which ravaged South-Eastern Africa for the second time in a month over the weekend, has destroyed a major part of the region and claimed more than 220 lives in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar, which have been counting the cost of lives.
Authorities in Malawi reported 190 fatalities by Tuesday afternoon, in addition to hundreds of injuries and missing persons. Officially, 20 people had died in neighboring Mozambique.
The countries were left without power supply and phone signals were also cut off in some parts of the affected area.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Freddy is one of the most powerful cyclones to have ever been observed in the southern hemisphere and may turn out to be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone. Stronger storms are being fueled by heat energy from the water’s top as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change.
On Saturday, it pounded central Mozambique, toppling buildings and causing extensive flooding near the port of Quelimane. Later, it moved north towards Malawi with torrential rains that triggered landslides.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) country director Marion Pechayre told British news agency Reuters that the injuries occured due to falling trees, landslides and flash floods. “A lot of (houses) are mud houses with tin roofs, so the roofs fall on people’s heads.”
In Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city, which is hilly, many of the deceased were killed by mudslides. Residents were left gazing in astonishment at enormous ravines in the roads and having to clamber across makeshift bridges as the rain continued. Torrential rain had swept away thousands of homes and uprooted trees.
The deceased have been brought out from the debris. As search and rescue efforts go on, it is still unclear how much harm has been done and lives were lost.
According to Malawi’s administration, nearly 60,000 people were impacted, of whom 19,000 were forced from their homes.
Freddy formed off the coast of Australia, traveled more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles) across the south Indian Ocean, and made an impact in Madagascar and Mozambique in late February.
Then, after making a loop, it struck Mozambique’s coast once more two weeks later before heading inland to Malawi.
