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| From Malawi Red Cross Society |
Tropical Cyclone Freddy is weakening after ripping across southern Malawi, killing at least 225 people, but the ensuing damage has imprisoned survivors and left them battling for survival.
Officials claim over 30 people have perished in the region, and dozens more are still missing as search and rescue attempts continue.
According to reports from 12 impacted locations, the country's Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) announced in an update Wednesday that 707 people have been injured and 41 have gone missing.
Chilobwe, a community in Blantyre, is one of the hardest-hit places. On Sunday night, the community, located below a hill, witnessed water flowing from above.
According to CNN, On Monday, individuals were spotted searching for the missing with shovels and even their bare hands.
Around the country, approximately 59,000 people have been affected and over 19,000 have been displaced, with many taking refuge in schools and churche
The storm has added to Malawi's difficulties, which are already dealing with the largest cholera outbreak in its history, which has killed over 1,600 people since last year.
Concerns of a cholera recurrence have been heightened by vaccine shortages since the epidemic began in the aftermath of another tropical storm last year
Malawi's government claimed at least 190 deaths, 584 injuries, and 37 persons missing, while officials in neighboring Mozambique recorded 20 deaths and 24 injuries.
According to the National Institute of Disaster Risk Management, at least ten persons were killed, and thirteen were injured in Mozambique's Zambezia region.
By making landfall in Mozambique for the second time, more than two weeks after the first, the devastating cyclone has smashed records for the longest-lasting storm of its kind.
According to CNN, based on reports provided by Radio Mozambique, the tropical cyclone has displaced around 22,000 people.
