At least 216 dead in Malawi and Mozambique in cyclone surge

Maputo [Mozambique]/ Lilongwe[Malawi],March 15: At least 216 people have died in the new surge of the devastating Cyclone Freddy in the African states of Malawi and Mozambique, and the number of victims is expected to continue to rise.
Authorities in Malawi said today that 199 people have lost their lives since the cyclone hit the African mainland for the second time on Saturday evening, causing floods and landslides.
President Lazarus Chakwera has declared a state of emergency in the southern region of the country and the now devastated city of Blantyre. About 19,000 inhabitants were displaced from the south of the country.
The spokesman of the UN Secretary General, Stefan Dužarik, said today that the provision of assistance to the residents prevents the loss of electricity and networks in the affected areas.
It is not possible to reach the worst-hit regions, so the extent of the damage is not yet known.
The Mozambican authorities announced today that 17 people were killed across the country and 1,900 houses were destroyed in the Zambezi coastal province. Tens of thousands of people are still hiding in shelters.
Freddie will cause extreme rainfall in central Mozambique and southern Malawi tomorrow, the UN Meteorological Center predicts.
Cyclone Freddie was observed for the first time in early February near Australia, from where it crossed the entire southern part of the Indian Ocean. It is well on its way to becoming the longest-running tropical cyclone on record.
The UN Meteorological Agency gathered experts to determine whether Freddie broke the record of 31 days set by Hurricane John in 1994.
Source: Beta News Agency