Tropical Cyclone Freddy, originated off the northern coast of Australia, has killed at least 326 people after it tore through southern Malawi, country’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs reported.
According to officials, Mozambique and Malawi were hit by the cyclone last weekend, second time within a month, resulting in the destruction of homes and widespread flooding.
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Over 19,676 households with approximately 88,312 people have been displaced, said officials, adding that 165 camps have been set up to provide temporary accommodation to them.
Amid search and rescue operations, more than 30 people from the region have already lost their lives, while dozens of individuals are still missing.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue the search for missing people, said authorities.
In the meantime, Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has declared 14 days of national mourning in the wake of the catastrophic damage caused by Freddy.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, Freddy may have broken the record for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.
The last cyclones to cross the entire southern Indian Ocean were tropical cyclones Leon-Eline and Hudah, in the year 2000.
