The death toll from Cyclone Freddy has risen sharply to more than 1,000 people, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera said on Wednesday, as the southern African nation continues to recover from one of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the past two decades.
Cyclone Freddy left a trail of destruction in its wake after ripping through Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, first in late February before circling back in March.
The storm affected more than 2 million people and displaced more than 500,000 as it washed away homes, roads and other infrastructure, Chakwera said.
Photo: AFP
He did not give an explanation as to why the death toll had jumped from an estimate of more than 500 people on March 20, but hundreds of people were still missing in Malawi late last month.
Freddy developed off the coast of Australia, crossed the entire South Indian Ocean and traveled more than 8,000km before making landfall in Madagascar.
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