Rain hinders rescue efforts after Cyclone Freddy kills 190 people in Malawi.

1 year ago
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14 March (Reuters) After tearing through southern Africa for the second time in a month, Cyclone Freddy, one of the most violent storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, has killed 190 people in Malawi, according to the Malawian government on Tuesday.

One of the hardest-hit areas was the area surrounding Blantyre's business center. Roads and bridges were devastated by severe water and rain, which complicated relief efforts.

Moreover, Freddy left a path of devastation in Mozambique, where it touched down over the weekend. There were more than 22,000 people looking for shelter away from their houses.

According to the Directorate of Disaster Management Affairs, the most recent death toll in Malawi is up from the 99 announced on Monday.

It stated in a statement that 37 people are still missing and 584 people have been injured as the nation was still being pummeled by severe rains.

Families in mourning were seen waiting to get their loved ones' bodies from the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital morgue in Blantyre.

Relief efforts have been hampered by mudslides brought on by heavy rain, according to aid organizations.

"It's a challenging operation in the sense that there's been incidents of mudslides and so people are getting stuck in those mud accumulations," said Estere Tsoka, emergency specialist at U.N. children's agency UNICEF in Malawi.

"People are trying to find a place to hang in there for some time."

On Saturday, Freddy pounded central Mozambique, tearing off roofs and creating extensive flooding near the port of Quelimane before heading inland toward Malawi.

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