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Malawi: Cyclone Freddy death toll hits 99, rescue mission underway
By Xinhua Published: Mar 14, 2023 10:18 AM
Photo taken on March 13, 2023 shows a house damaged by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)

Photo taken on March 13, 2023 shows a house damaged by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
People walk in the mud in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)

People walk in the mud in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
Rescuers clear the mud in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)

Rescuers clear the mud in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
A man sorts items in his house damaged by flash floods in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)

A man sorts items in his house damaged by flash floods in Chilobwe, Blantyre, Malawi, on March 13, 2023. The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.(Photo: Xinhua)


 
The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Freddy in Malawi reached 99 Monday evening with 85 deaths recorded in the commercial city of Blantyre alone, authorities have confirmed.

Commissioner for the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs (DoDMA), Charles Kalemba, confirmed the development at a press briefing held in Blantyre Monday evening, adding that thousands have also been displaced.

Kalemba said Blantyre has recorded 134 serious injuries while several other injuries and loss of property have been recorded across the 10 districts that have been heavily affected by the cyclone.

The loss of lives has been due to the collapse of residential houses, flash floods, and landslides in the affected districts including Blantyre where one of the mountains, Soche, broke loose releasing a huge flow of water, heavy rocks, and mud that swept a number of homes and burried residents in the process.

The cyclone has also destroyed power generation infrastructure, leaving almost the entire country in blackout since Monday morning.

Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has declared a state of emergency in the 10 districts that have been heavily affected in the southern region.