On Monday, authorities said that Cyclone Freddy, which brought strong winds and heavy rains, killed at least 70 people in Malawi and Mozambique.
Freddy, one of the lengthiest storms on record, ploughed through southern Africa for the second time in a few weeks over the weekend, returning after a first strike in late February.
According to the Red Cross, more than 60 bodies were discovered during the day in southern Malawi, where heavy rains caused flooding.
"Sixty-six people have died in Malawi, 93 injured and 16 people are missing due to Tropical Cyclone Freddy," tweeted the humanitarian organisation, which is helping with search and rescue operations in the country
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of emergency in the country's southern region, noting "with grave concern the devastation that Cyclone Freddy is currently bringing".
According to regional police spokeswoman Beatrice Mikuwa, At least 36 bodies were discovered in one township of Chilobwe in Blantyre, a sprawling city of more than one million people. She added that the township was "the hardest hit," with dozens of houses washed away.
Heavy rains in the region were hampering rescue efforts. Richard Duwa, 38, a town resident, said that his sister-in-law's family were swept away by the floods.
Malawi has ordered the closure of schools in the hit areas, and flights to the small town have been stopped
according to The Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD), four people died in the country, and they are still assessing the extent of the damage.
INGD head Luisa Meque said that The number of affected people was above the forecast, adding the storm also struck areas that had been "deemed safe."
Freddy, which formed off the coast of northwestern Australia in the first week of February, was on track to become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
