Over 190 people have been confirmed dead in Malawi, and several others are still missing after cyclone Freddy returned, unleashing record-breaking storms and floods.
"The death toll has risen from 99… to 190, with 584 injured and 37 reported missing," Malawi's Department of Disaster Management Affairs said in a statement.
Freddy formed off the coast of Australia in early February and travelled through the Indian Ocean before making landfall in the southeastern part of Africa in late February. Freddy returned over the weekend, causing a devastating loss in Mozambique and Malawi.
"The situation is very dire," said Guilherme Botelho, emergency project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
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"There are many casualties, either wounded, missing or dead, and the numbers will only increase in the coming days."
The town of Blantyre in Malawi has been heavily affected by cyclone Freddy, and survivors watched in horror as what remained of their houses and businesses as the rains continued to fall. over 59000 people have been affected. In contrast, 19000 others have been displaced and are in dire need of humanitarian aid.
Rescue operations are ongoing in the areas, but the continuous downfall hinders their efforts. A witness John Witman, in his 80s, told AFP that he could not find his son and that they felt helpless because no one was there to help them.
Another witness said that so many bodies were buried under the mud and water, adding that the area had plenty of houses, but now all of them have been washed away.
Cyclone freddy unofficially surpassed the World Meteorological Organization's record for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone, set in 1994 for a 31-day storm named John.
Authorities in Malawi fear that the number of those killed by the cyclone will rise significantly once the cyclone fades and the rains recede, and rescue workers dig those buried in the mud.
