Malawi’s president on Monday declared a state of emergency in several southern regions, including the commercial center of Blantyre, after Cyclone Freddy returned strong, killing dozens, the presidency said.
President Lazarus Chakwera “expressed with deep concern the devastation that Cyclone Freddy is now causing in many areas… and declared a state of disaster in the southern region,” the presidency said in a statement, after the storm left a path of destruction and killed more than 60 people in the southern African country.
The government is responding to the tragedy while calling for local and international aid for the affected families, it said.
More than 60 bodies were found during the day in southern Malawi where heavy rains caused flooding, according to the Red Cross. Others are still missing.
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Blantyre city was badly impacted, with regional police spokeswoman Beatrice Mikuwa saying at least 36 bodies were recovered in the township of Chilobwe “which has been hit the most”, with dozens of houses were washed away.
Freddy, on track to become one of the longest-lasting storms on record, barrelled through southern Africa at the weekend for the second time within weeks, making a comeback after a first hit in late February.
