Death toll rises, locals pick up pieces after Cyclone Freddy

Mar 17, 2023, 5:16 AM
Men transport their salvaged belongings in Chiradzulu, southern Malawi, Friday March 17, 2023. Auth...
Men transport their salvaged belongings in Chiradzulu, southern Malawi, Friday March 17, 2023. Authorities are still getting to grips with the scale of Cyclone Freddy's destruction in Malawi and Mozambique since late Saturday, with over 300 people confirmed dead and several hundreds still displaced or missing. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Authorities are still getting to grips with the scale of Cyclone Freddy’s destruction in Malawi and Mozambique since late Saturday, with over 370 people confirmed dead, several hundreds still missing and tens of thousands displaced.

On Friday, Malawi authorities said Freddy killed at least 326 people, with 200 still missing. There are hundreds of evacuation centers set up across the country for survivors. Malawi’s president, Lazarus Chakwera, declared a 14-day national mourning period on Thursday.

In Mozambique, authorities said at least 53 were killed since Saturday, with 50,000 more still displaced. It’s expected that the death toll in both nations will continue to climb.

Cyclone Freddy dissipated over land late Wednesday after it made second landfall in Mozambique and then Malawi over the weekend and caused mass devastation in several regions, including Malawi’s financial capital, Blantyre.

“A lot of areas are inaccessible restricting movement of assessment and humanitarian teams and life-saving supplies,” said Paul Turnbull, the World Food Program’s director in Malawi. “The true extent of the damage will only be revealed once assessments have been concluded.”

Both nations were already facing a cholera outbreak before the cyclone hit and there are fears than the flooding could worsen the spread of water-borne diseases. Mozambique was also dealing with Freddy’s first battering and floods earlier in the year.

Scientists say human-caused climate change has worsened cyclone activity, making them wetter, more intense and more frequent.

Cyclone Freddy has ravaged looped back on to the mainland after regaining strength over the Mozambique Channel.

Freddy first developed near Australia in early February and the World Meteorological Organization has convened an expert panel to determine whether it has broken the record for the longest-ever cyclone in recorded history.

___

Alexandre Nhampossa and Tom Gould contributed to this report from Maputo, Mozambique. Kabukuru reported from Mombasa, Kenya.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

World

Associated Press

US Mideast envoy hopeful Saudi-Iran détente will help region

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — The Biden administration is hopeful that warming ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia will help deescalate conflicts and crises across the Middle East, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday. The détente between the two regional heavyweights could help bring Yemen’s nine-year civil war to an end, Barbara Leaf said. Earlier this […]
18 hours ago
FILE - Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik speaks during a news conference after claiming victory in ...
Associated Press

Blinken compares Bosnia Serb leader to Putin

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has compared the policies of the Bosnia Serb separatist leader to those of Russian President Vladimir Putin following his moves to curb dissent and LGBTQ rights. Blinken tweeted late Wednesday that “Milorad Dodik’s attacks on basic rights and freedoms in Republika Srpska show he is […]
18 hours ago
FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday,...
Associated Press

Russia to keep missile test notices under Cold War-era deal

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia will continue to give the U.S. advance notice about its missile tests despite suspending the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries, a top Russian diplomat said Thursday. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s statement reversed one he made Wednesday, when he said Moscow had halted all information exchanges with […]
18 hours ago
A worker is silhouetted against spectators seats at Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, one of the venues pre...
Associated Press

Tears, anger as Indonesian soccer fears FIFA sanctions

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian soccer players and fans reacted with tears and outrage after the country was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil over Israel’s participation, leaving Indonesian soccer at risk of further sanctions. The youth soccer event was […]
18 hours ago
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen leaves a hotel in New York, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Yu...
Associated Press

China renews warnings as Taiwan’s Tsai stops over in US

BEIJING (AP) — As Taiwan’s president began a stopover in the United States on her way to Central America, China said it was closely watching developments and would “resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity.” China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and portrays the […]
18 hours ago
Pope Francis waves to faithful during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vat...
Associated Press

Responding to Indigenous, Vatican rejects Discovery Doctrine

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” the theories backed by 15th-century “papal bulls” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today. A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately […]
18 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Compassion International...

Brock Huard and Friends Rally Around The Fight for First Campaign

Professional athletes are teaming up to prevent infant mortality and empower women at risk in communities facing severe poverty.
Emergency Preparedness...

Prepare for the next disaster at the Emergency Preparedness Conference

Being prepared before the next emergency arrives is key to preserving businesses and organizations of many kinds.
SHIBA volunteer...

Volunteer to help people understand their Medicare options!

If you’re retired or getting ready to retire and looking for new ways to stay active, becoming a SHIBA volunteer could be for you!
safety from crime...

As crime increases, our safety measures must too

It's easy to be accused of fearmongering regarding crime, but Seattle residents might have good reason to be concerned for their safety.
Comcast Ready for Business Fund...
Ilona Lohrey | President and CEO, GSBA

GSBA is closing the disparity gap with Ready for Business Fund

GSBA, Comcast, and other partners are working to address disparities in access to financial resources with the Ready for Business fund.
SHIBA WA...

Medicare open enrollment is here and SHIBA can help!

The SHIBA program – part of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner – is ready to help with your Medicare open enrollment decisions.
Death toll rises, locals pick up pieces after Cyclone Freddy